Pathway to Parenthood
by MBooker
Summary: Rick and Evy's trek to parenthood isn't quite the bundle of joy we hopeless romantics had hope it would be.
1. Expecting

Two and a half months after her wedding day, Evelyn woke up before daylight - sick. She sat up in bed and her head started spinning. She lay back down only to have her stomach start churning. She rolled onto her side and the queasiness seemed to get worse. She starting heaving and knew that there would soon be a mess on the floor. Evelyn moaned as she rolled herself out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. She had barely made it to the toilet when her stomach started ejecting it contents. Evelyn held her head over the bowl and retched until her eyes were filled with tears. After her stomach was empty, several moments had to pass before it completely settled down. She pushed herself away from the toilet, took a deep breath, sat on the floor and waited to see if her stomach would start rumbling again. After several minutes, she pulled herself up on her knees to the sink. Evelyn reached for the facet and turned on the water and washed out her mouth then splashed water on her face. She took another deep breath then slowly stood up. Her head started spinning and she quickly put the lid down on the toilet and sat down.  
  
Evelyn had never been a sickly child nor a sickly woman but this morning she was feeling terrible, awful in fact. She propped her elbows on her thighs, cradled her head in her hands and sighed. It was horrible feeling horrible. As Evelyn sat there wishing the nausea would pass, she wondered if she had eaten something bad or if she had caught some virus. After several minutes, she slowly stood up and the queasiness remained but it was not as bad as it had been. Evelyn held her stomach as she slowly treaded back to bed.  
  
"Evelyn?" Rick groaned when she sat down on the bed. "What are you doing up?" he asked, still more asleep than awake.  
  
"I had to go the lavatory" Evelyn said as she began to ease back down in the comfortable bed.  
  
"The what?" Rick said in a groggy voice.  
  
"The bathroom" Evelyn said as she lay on her side.  
  
Once she was settled, she felt Rick's arm around her waist then felt his chest snuggle up against her back. Within seconds, Rick was snoring and Evelyn knew it would be awhile before she would be able to fall back to sleep.  
  
"Rick" she said as she nudged him.  
  
"huh?" was his muddled response.  
  
"You're snoring" she said.  
  
"um hum..."  
  
Rick quieted down for a few minutes before the fainted sound of a snore crept up into Evelyn's ears. Evelyn began to hum along with Rick's snores and before long she had drifted back to sleep.  
  
When Evelyn finally woke up, the room was filled with the morning light that seeped in through the cracks in the curtains. Rick was still snuggled up against her back, still snoring. Evelyn threw back the covers, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. She blew out a big breath and held her stomach, willing it to remain settled. It did and she concluded that she was over her early morning upset. Evelyn stood up and her head became to spin and she fell back on the bed.  
  
"whew" she breathed. "oh god" she said in another breath as she grabbed her stomach and shot up from the bed.   
  
She was heaving all the way to the bathroom and prayed that she would not empty her stomach on the floor. Evelyn made it to the toilet and fell to her knees. She lowered her head and retched but nothing came out. She felt as if she would throw up all of her insides as she continued heaving. When she was finally able to lift her head, her eyes were red and watery. Evelyn used the back of her hand to wipe her mouth then pulled herself up to the sink and repeated the routine she had performed just hours before.  
  
And this is how Evelyn woke up for the next week. One her sixth day a nausea, while she was sitting in front of the commode catching her breath, Rick walked in.  
  
"What's the matter Evelyn" he asked, concern etched on his features as he squatted down next to her.  
  
"Nothing" she said as she took a deep breath.  
  
"Something's the matter" he frowned. "You're sitting in front for the toilet looking like you threw up last night's dinner!"   
  
"I'm fine" Evelyn tried to reassure him and herself. "Really."  
  
"Then why are you looking like death warmed over?" he asked as he noticed her ashen face.  
  
"I look like death?!" Evelyn frowned at his insult.   
  
"Yeah" he said.  
  
"Well... MR O'Connell" Evelyn said, hurt at his assessment of her appearance. "At the moment, YOU aren't exactly the most handsome man I've ever seen!"  
  
Rick had blood shot eyes and sleep marks all over his face. His hair was a complete in disarray.  
  
"And your breath stinks!" she said just before she pulled herself up on her knees. "I don't need your help" she said when Rick tried to assist her in standing up. "oooooohhh" she said and would have fallen back to her knees if Rick had not caught her.  
  
"Don't need my help huh?" Rick said as he held her around the waist and lowered the toilet seat.  
  
"No" Evelyn said as Rick guided her to sit on the toilet lid.  
  
"I'm taking you to see a doctor."  
  
"No..." Evelyn hated doctors. "I'm fine. It was probably something I ate."  
  
"Well the doctor can tell us that" Rick said.  
  
"I'M telling us that!" Evelyn said. She hated it when Rick acted like a dictator. "It was something I ate!"  
  
"Well, I want to hear it from somebody who knows what they are talking about" Rick said.  
  
They sat in the bathroom for another five minutes arguing about going to see a doctor. The argument continued as they both got dressed and went to the kitchen for breakfast.  
  
"I mean it Evelyn. YOU are going to see a doctor. You could have some deadly virus or something."  
  
"What's all the yelling about?" Jonathan asked as he came into the kitchen, still in his pajamas.  
  
"Evelyn is sick."  
  
"I am NOT!"  
  
"Yes you are!"  
  
"NO I AM NOT!!"  
  
"YES... YOU ARE!!"  
  
Jonathan looked from one combatant to the other, as his sister said NO she was not and his brother-in-law YES she was.  
  
"What's the matter Evy?" Jonathan asked, figuring it would be safer to side with O'Connell.  
  
"NOTHING! NOTHING! NOTHING!" Evelyn yelled as she stomped her foot.  
  
"Then ask her why she was puking her guts out just a few minutes ago" Rick said to Jonathan as he continued frowning at Evelyn.  
  
"That is so ill-mannered!" Evelyn frowned back, referring to his crude description of her bout with nausea   
  
"Answer the question!" he said. "WHY were you puking your guts out?!"  
  
Evelyn fumed at Rick then turned her back on him and stomped out of the kitchen.  
  
"I'll be at the museum at twelve!" he yelled after her. "And I'll drag you to the doctor if I have too!"  
  
Rick heard the front door slam but he knew Evelyn had heard him.  
  
"So, do you think something is really wrong with her?" Jonathan asked as he too began to worry.  
  
"I don't know" Rick said as he ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what I'd do..." he did not want to think about Evelyn having some killer disease.  
  
"I'm sure she's fine. She's a sturdy old mum" Jonathan said, trying to assure Rick and himself. He didn't know what he'd do either if something terrible were wrong with Evelyn.  
  
************************  
  
"Mrs. O'Connell, you're in perfect health" the doctor said.  
  
Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief at his words. "Why am I have these horrible bouts with nausea then?"  
  
"You're expecting."  
  
"Expecting what?"  
  
"A baby."  
  
"A baby?" Evelyn was sure she had not heard right.  
  
"Yes, a baby" the doctor nodded in the affirmative.  
  
"A baby?" she said again.   
  
Evelyn did not know the first thing about babies. How in the world could she be expecting one? Then her face turned red as she thought about how she had come to this state of expectancy. That husband of hers was an insatiable one, not that she was complaining. She began to tingle inside as she thought of his caress, his touch. A tiny smile formed as she thought of his hot breath in her ear, his explicit words that made her body react just as his skilled hands did. And then when he invaded her body...  
  
"Mrs. O'Connell? Are you OK?"  
  
"Yes" Evelyn said, turning a darker shade of red. "I was just thinking... oh never mind. Are you SURE about this doctor?"  
  
"Positive" he smiled. "Would you like for me to bring in your husband and tell him the good news."  
  
"Oh no..." Evelyn was not sure she was ready for a baby, let alone Rick being ready for one. "I'd like to tell him myself. But would you please tell him that I am doing fine. He's been a bit worried about me."  
  
After hearing from a professional that Evelyn was OK, Rick breathed easier. But Evelyn did not. A baby. She was expecting a baby and that news was not settling well with her. This was unexpected and she and Rick had not even discussed children. Though she knew she wanted them one day, today was not that day. A mother. She did not know how to be a mother. And with her own mother gone, whom could she turn to for guidance? The more she thought about her shortcomings in the area of motherhood, the more depressed she became. A baby was a precious thing and Evelyn felt so inadequate.   
  
Evelyn wished with all her heart that her mother were there to ease her uneasiness and tell her that everything would be all right. She found comfort in remembering her mother and her soothing voice. She pulled out the family photo book and flipped through the pages. There were pictures of her father, her mother, her parents together. Pictures of her, Jonathan, her and Jonathan, her and her mother, her and her father, Jonathan and their mother, Jonathan and their father. There were pictures of the entire family together. Evelyn smiled as she remembered them as a family. And now she was starting a family of her own. But could she do it? Could be she the mother her own mother was?  
  
When Evelyn flipped to the last page, there were two folded notes tucked in the crevices that held the pictures. One had Jonathan's name scripted on it and the other had her name. They were written in her mother's hand. Evelyn removed the note addressed to her and unfolded it.  
  
My Dearest Daughter Evelyn  
  
As I sit here watching you sleep, I fall more in love with you by the second. I am still amazed that you are mine. I ask myself over and over what I did to deserve such a gift as you. I may never understand why you were given to me but I will promise you that I will do my best to be a good mother.  
  
I was absolutely terrified when I found out I was carrying your brother Jonathan and when he came into the world, my fears did not cease. Instead they increased because I loved him so much that I was afraid I would not be able to give him all that he needed. Your father was an angel as he bear up under my hysterics and eventually I became more comfortable, then more confident that I could care for Jonathan properly.  
  
And now I have you. Even though my fears and insecurities returned, as I look at you, I know nothing in this world or the next will stop me from loving you with all my heart.  
  
And one day, you will have your own precious gift from above and I know, even as I look at you now, that you will love that child with all you heart.  
  
From the heart of your mother, With all the love she has for you.  
  
Evelyn had started crying when she saw her name written in her mother's hand and now she was in total tears as the fruit of love began to blossom in her heart. She could do it. She would do it. Her mother's letter had wiped away her fear and uncertainty. This was her baby and she would do whatever it took to be a good mother.   
  
And now it was time to tell the father.  
  
**************************  
  
It took Evelyn another three days before she was almost ready to tell Rick about her condition. She had decided she would tell him that morning but it was not until later that evening that she finally found the right words.  
  
"Rick?" Evelyn called as she walked into the sitting room.  
  
"Yeah" he said without looking up from his task of cleaning his weapons.  
  
"I need to speak with you" she said as she walked over to him.  
  
"OK" he said, stilling focusing on his weapons.  
  
"Do you mind putting that down" she said with perturbation as she stood over him.  
  
Evelyn's emotions were unstable due to her condition and her tolerance for having only part of Rick's attention was low. He looked up when he heard the agitation in her tone.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, looking up at her frown. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No. Not..." Evelyn began. "Not exactly."  
  
"What do you mean, 'not exactly'" he said.  
  
"Nothing's wrong" she said.  
  
Evelyn stood there looking down at Rick and Rick sat there looking up at Evelyn.  
  
"What is it Evelyn?" Rick asked when she continued to stare down at him.  
  
"I'm... ah..."  
  
"Yeah" Rick motioned with his hand for her to continue. "You're... Evelyn" he said when she stood mute. "Are you sure you're OK?"  
  
"I'm fine" Evelyn said as she pulled out the chair and sat at the table.   
  
Evelyn set her forearms on the table, folded her hands together and breathed a heavy breath as she looked at Rick.  
  
"Rick"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"I have something to tell you."  
  
"I figured that much out."  
  
"Are you... no that's not what I what to say. I have a condition."  
  
"I thought that damn doctor said you were OK!" Rick panicked.   
  
"I am" Evelyn said then reached for his hand. "I'm fine. Really" she said as she saw the fear in his eyes.  
  
"Well, what kind of condition do you have?" Rick asked, still a little anxious.  
  
Evelyn took a deep breath as her heart pounded.  
  
"I'm expecting."  
  
"Expecting what?"  
  
"A baby."  
  
Rick sat looking at Evelyn, not saying anything, not quite sure he heard her correctly. He frowned a bewildered frown and shook his head as if to clear it.  
  
"Rick?" Evelyn said after a few moments. "You're what?" Rick said at the same time.  
  
"I'm... I'm... expecting a baby" she said.  
  
Evelyn watched Rick's reaction and it was not what she had hoped for. Evelyn expected him to be surprised. She surely had been. And maybe a little apprehensive. She had been more than frightened at the thought of being a mother. But then, after the initial shock, she expected him to be happy. They were having a baby and, after getting over the fear and doubt, that was the happiest news a couple could receive.  
  
Or at least that was what Evelyn thought. Rick's reaction went from disbelief to surprise to... uneasiness then anxiety then dread then rejection. He never made it to happiness.  
  
"Rick..." Evelyn whispered, her voice shaking. Aren't... aren't you happy... about the baby?"  
  
Rick could not answer her without hurting her. A kid? That was the farthest thing from his mind - a kid. He did not want to think about a kid. A kid needed parents, a mother and a father. He was not ready to be a parent, a father and did not think he would ever be ready.   
  
"How did it happen?" he said, more to himself than to her.  
  
"How?" Evelyn said.   
  
Rick was asking how did this happen. If she knew, he had to know. Then Evelyn saw something she did not want to see. The look in his eyes said a baby was not something he particularly desired.   
  
"You don't... you don't want the baby..." she whispered in an accusing voice as she slowly stood up.   
  
"Evelyn..." Rick stood up and reached for her as he tried to find the right words to say.  
  
"No!" she put her hand up to ward him off and took a step back.  
  
"Evelyn..." he took a step toward her and reached for her again.  
  
"no..." she said as tears formed in her eyes and she took another step away from him. "Stay away from me" she said as she backed out the room.  
  
"Evelyn..." he tried again.  
  
"Don't!" she said as a tear slid down her cheek and she turned and ran to their room.  
  
Rick watched her go, unable to move, unable to find the words to explain to her. He was torn inside, not wanting to hurt the woman he loved, but not wanting to admit to the fear inside of him.  
  
Evelyn shut the bedroom door and locked it. She turned and leaned against the door then slid down to the floor. How could Rick not want the baby, their baby? she wondered as her heart broke. She loved him and she already loved the baby she carried. Her baby. His baby. Their baby. How could he not want this baby?  
  
Evelyn's unbalanced hormones enticed her imagination to run wild with speculations. She wondered if it had been a mistake marrying him. She had only known him a few short weeks and he had asked her to marry him. She had said 'yes' so quickly and without a second thought. And now she was beginning to see that was a mistake.  
  
But Evelyn loved him. Or at least she thought she did. Had the first man who had dared to steal a kiss from her sweep her off her feet? Had the knight in shining armor who had rescued the damsel in distress dazzle her? Had the adventure they survived together trick her into believing they shared something special? Had she been a fool to marry him?  
  
'Yes' she thought as she cried silently. It was obvious that he did not love her, she reasoned in her unreasonable state of mind. How could he love her and not want their baby? One of the reasons she fell in love with the baby inside of her was because it was a part of Rick. And she loved Rick. Yes she did love him, she knew in her heart she did. But was she a fool to love him?  
  
Evelyn was crying when the doorknob turned.  
  
"Evelyn" Rick called. "Open up."  
  
When the door did not open, Rick tried again. "Evelyn open up."  
  
"GO AWAY!" she said.  
  
"Evelyn..." Rick laid his forehead against the door. "Open the door" he begged. "Please."  
  
Rick was met with silence and he immediately got angry.  
  
"Open the damn door Evelyn!"  
  
"I said GO AWAY!" Evelyn yelled back. If she were given to using fowl language she would have told him a thing or two. But she was a lady and fowl language was not proper, no matter how upset she was.  
  
"OPEN THE DOOR!" Rick said in frustration as he turned the doorknob again.  
  
Rick instantly remembered the last time a locked bedroom door stood between them. He had locked her in but this time she had locked him out. If he were not so angry with her and himself, he would have laughed.  
  
"GO AWAY!" she said again.  
  
"Fine!" he said and turned away from the door.  
  
Evelyn sat on the floor crying and Rick sat at the casbah drinking. Neither one knowing where they would go from here. 


	2. Uncertain

It had been a mistake, a terrible, terrible mistake. Evelyn came to this conclusion as she sat at her window looking up at the star lit night sky. Rick O'Connell was the biggest blunder she had ever made. It had started when she was drawn to him in that Cairo prison. She could not seem to help herself. He was so... so fetching in spite of the fact that he needed a bath, haircut, shave and manners. Yes, his flaws were obvious to even a blind woman, but still... there was something about him that arrested Evelyn.  
  
And then he kissed her.   
  
Evelyn admitted to herself that when he beckoned her to come closer, her heart leaped with excitement. Beneath her very proper exterior, she longed for him to kiss her, to place on her lips that very first kiss. But she knew he would never be so bold therefore she had moved closer to him. Her heart pounded as she looked into his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes. Then she saw it. She saw his boldness and before she could back away from the aggressiveness that eluded from him, he had grabbed her.   
  
Evelyn was initially frighten at the sudden move but her fear quickly turned to shock. She was shocked that this man, this prisoner would take such liberties with her. She was even more shocked that she was beginning to enjoy the liberties he was taking.   
  
And then she was disappointed. Greatly disappointed.  
  
The kiss had ended. It ended much too quickly for her. Just when Evelyn was beginning to surrender to the kiss, just when she was beginning to feel warm inside, a coldness swept over her as the warm manly lips that had been on hers and the strong masculine hand that cupped her chin were suddenly snatched away.   
  
Evelyn was confused as she watched the guards yanked him away from the bars and punched him. Evelyn hoped they were not hurting him too badly and wondered why she even cared. "Do it lady!" she remembered him saying as she stood trying to compose herself. She could not understand first of all why she had not found the brief experience unpleasant. In fact she found it agreeable, quite agreeable. She could not understand why she was not appalled and insulted that this filthy, rude American scoundrel whom she did not like one bit had kissed her. She just could not muster up the outrage or the indignation of being accosted by him.   
  
And that baffled her completely.  
  
After saving his life, she convinced herself that the only reason she did it was because she wanted to go to Hamunaptra. Of course she would not want to see anyone, not even a filthy rude American scoundrel, hung but her main reason for saving him was NOT because there was something about him... no indeed. The ONLY reason she saved him was because it was the right thing to do. Yes, it was the right thing to do and besides, she reminded herself, he was her only way to Hamunaptra.  
  
That night when everything was quite and Evelyn lay in bed, her mind keep drifting to that American scoundrel and the kiss he had given her. Evelyn touched her lips, lips that had been waylaid by male lips...  
  
"Evelyn! It was just a kiss!" she insisted. "A silly, meaningless kiss. Stop acting like some mindless schoolgirl."   
  
Evelyn went to sleep that night insisting that the kiss meant nothing, absolutely nothing. There was nothing to the kiss and nothing at all to like about the man who kissed her. And when she saw him at Gaza port with a fresh haircut, shave and bath there was still nothing, absolutely nothing there to like. Yes, yes he was still filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. Nothing to like there a'tall.   
  
Then why was she insulted, outraged even when she heard his answer to why he had kissed her? 'By the way... why did you kiss me?' Evelyn was hoping he would say he found her beautiful, a rose in the mist of thorns who needed to be plucked. 'I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time.' Well... if that was not a slap in the face, she did not know what was. Evelyn stomped away from him in a huff and just could not admit that she was a little hurt and disappointed that he did not think the kiss was more than just a dying man's final request. 'Oh! For heaven sake girl! It wasn't that good of a kiss anyway!' She tried to convince herself.   
  
Evelyn would remind herself often, especially when her eyes found themselves settled on him, that it was only a kiss, not even a very good one, not that she had anything to compare it too. It was only a kiss, she told herself as she picked the exquisite black dress to trek across the dry hot desert in. It was only a kiss, she told herself as he approached her with the camels in tow, hoping she was looking exceptionally attractive to him. It was only a kiss, she told herself as he had given her the toolkit he had 'borrowed' just for her.  
  
It was only a kiss.  
  
In the mist of their harrowing experience of being attacked by the Med Jai, Evelyn had gotten a few swigs of Jonathan's drink in her and it was still only a kiss. So why not have another? Another kiss that is. Evelyn remembered telling him that she was a librarian, a proud librarian and she was going to kiss him.  
  
Yes she was going to kiss Mr. O'Connell. She was going to kiss Rick. And so she did or at least she thought she did. For some odd reason, Evelyn could not remember that kiss. But she did remember the kiss they shared at the end of their adventure.  
  
And now, after many kisses... and other, more intimate things, she was left with child. A child whose father was not exactly thrilled about the news.  
  
"What a mess I've made!" Evelyn bemoaned as her tears began anew.   
  
Evelyn knew she had been a fool, a complete idiot to fall head over heels for Rick O'Connell. But in spite of being a fool and knowing she was a fool, Evelyn loved him. There was no need to deny it and she did not have the energy or the will to do so. It did not seem to matter that she loved him with all her heart. Regardless of that truth, Evelyn was beginning to believed that the love she thought he had for her had been a fairy tale. After all, he had been her knight in shining armor when he rescued her from being sacrificed by Imhotep.   
  
Maybe, she thought as she shed silent tears, she had confused his exceptional heroism with that silly thing called love. But then she thought of their wedding day. He had vowed to love her, to cherish her, to protect her for the rest of his life. Had he lied to her? Had he lied to the minister? Had he lied to the All Mighty? In her heart of hearts, Evelyn knew... she knew he had not lied.   
  
But, in spite of their love for one another, it was no longer just the two of them. Evelyn laid her hand on her flat abdomen. A baby was nestled there, a baby she and Rick had created. An innocent baby who deserved to be wanted by both parents. Evelyn wanted her husband. And she wanted her baby... but it was apparent by Rick's reaction that he did not. Would he be so callous as to force her to choose between him and the baby? In her right mind, Evelyn knew he would not. But, at the present, her right mind had escaped her. How could she ever be expected to choose one of them, her husband or her baby, over the other?  
  
Evelyn was tormented with the thought that she would have to choose. Choose between her husband whom she loved and the innocent baby she carried, whom she already knew she would give her life for.  
  
What could Evelyn do, what would she do about the great dilemma she was in?  
  
*********************  
  
He loved her. He loved her with everything he had but... it had been a mistake. It had been a big mistake. How could he have let it happen? He had been around the brothel more than a few times and he knew how to keep these things from happening. So why had he been so careless?  
  
"She's your wife idiot, not some whore!" his conscience shouted.  
  
Rick sat at the bar, staring at the drink in his hand as thoughts of a kid drifted through his mind. After a moment, he lifted the drink to his lips and tossed it down.  
  
"Another!" he said as he slammed the shot glass down, hoping he would be able to drown his fears in booze.   
  
A kid. That had been the farthest thing from his mind and the last thing he wanted. He loved Evelyn, damn it! He loved her with all his heart. He was more than sure of that. But a kid? That was territory he did not want to explore.  
  
Why hadn't he taken precautions to keep this from happening? he asked himself.  
  
Because, Rick answered himself, when he was with Evelyn in those loving, intimate ways, he was so lost in her that he forgot all about what he had learned in the company of courtesans.   
  
And now he had a kid on the way.  
  
"O'Connell!" Jonathan slapped Rick on the back. "The old ball and chain let you out tonight?" he said cheerfully as he sat next to Rick.  
  
"Jonathan" Rick said in a solemn voice, as his thoughts were pulled from his kid to his brother-in-law.  
  
"Old mum is gonna have your hide" Jonathan said when he saw the bartender pour Rick's drink. "I'll have what he's having" he said to the bartender.  
  
"You sure you need one of these" Rick said as he lifted his glass to his lips. "Smells like you're already drunk" Rick noted, catching a whiff of the liquor on Jonathan's breath.   
  
"Not drunk old chap!" Jonathan said as Rick downed his drink. "Just extremely jolly. Not too long ago I left off having a private party with a lady friend."  
  
"A lady?" Rick said sarcastically, then to the bartender. "Another."  
  
"If you don't tell Evy on me" Jonathan whispered drunkenly, knowing that Rick knew just what kind of lady he had been keeping company with. "I won't tell on you" he snickered as he watched his brother-in-law down another shot.   
  
Rick listened with half an ear as Jonathan told him of the profit he made from a few pieces of his Hamunaptra treasure. Evy had found a buyer for him and the deal was closed that afternoon and Jonathan was celebrating. He chatted on and on for the next thirty minutes but Rick was not listening and Jonathan was too drunk to notice.  
  
"I'll pick up the tab old chap" Jonathan said when Rick reached for his back pocket.   
  
"Thanks" Rick said as he stood up.  
  
"You're off so soon?" Jonathan said, not wanting him to leave just yet. He liked chatting with his brother-in-law.  
  
Rick did not answer Jonathan but turned and headed for the door. Jonathan frowned slightly and wondered if everything was all right. But then he forgot about his brother-in-law when a dark haired beauty caught his attention.  
  
After leaving the tavern, Rick wandered the streets of Cairo thinking. What would he do... with a kid? He did not know how to act with a kid, how to be a good father to a kid. And a kid needed a father, a good father.  
  
Would Evelyn die giving birth, leaving him and the kid alone? His Ma had died when he gave birth to him and left him and his Pa alone. Would he end up leaving his kid like his Pa had left him?  
  
Rick gritted his teeth as he remembered that day.  
  
"Pa, where we going?" four-year old Rick asked Archibald O'Connell as they approached the big house with lots of windows.  
  
"Well... this here is called a convent" his father said. "And there's some real nice ladies that live here."  
  
"Why we coming here Pa?"  
  
"Cause I cain't take you wit me" his father answered.  
  
"Why not? I wanna go wit you Pa" Rick whined.  
  
"You cain't"  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Cause I said so!" his father said angrily as he looked down at Rick with a frown. "It's dangerous" Archibald softened when he saw the down cast look on his son's face. He then stopped and squatted down.  
  
"Hey" he said softly as he put his finger under Rick's chin and lifted his head. "I wanna take you, but the men said it was too dangerous to have a youngster tagging along."  
  
"I ain't scared Pa! I ain't scared of nothin'!"  
  
"I know you ain't son" Archibald said proudly as he ruffled Rick's hair. "But it's best if'n I leave..."  
  
"But I don't want you to leave Pa" Rick interrupted as he started to cry.  
  
"I don't wanna leave either" Archibald said as he choked back his own tears. "But it's just too dangerous. I cain't let anything happen to you boy. You's all I got" he said as he rubbed his son's cheek.  
  
"Then don't go" Rick pleaded.  
  
"I'm doing this for you. For us. When I get back, we'll be rich and we won't ever have to worry about money or anythin' else ever again. Now" Archibald said as he stood up and started walking up the steps to the house with lots of windows. "These ladies are gonna take real good care of ya till I get back."   
  
Archibald knocked on the door and waited for an answer. An older lady who looked awfully mean to Rick answered the door.   
  
"Hello Sister" Archibald tipped his hat. "This here is my boy I told ya 'bout" he said motioning toward Rick. "Rick, this is Sister Abigail and she'll be watching after ya till I get back."  
  
"Hello young man" Sister Abigail said in a very prim, accented voice.  
  
Rick frowned up at the mean looking lady. She had on a long black dress with a black towel on her head. Rick had learned his letters from a lady friend of his Pa's and he saw that the old lady had a big little 't' hanging around her neck.   
  
"He's a bit shy" Archibald said when Rick did not say 'hello' to the Sister.  
  
"Most of the children that come here usually are" the Sister said.  
  
"I'm gonna miss ya" Archibald said as he again squatted down to Rick. "And I'll be back as soon as I can. I want you to behave yourself till I get back. Alright?"  
  
Rick looked silently at his father, not wanting to be left with Sister Abigail. Not wanting his father to go without him. Archibald knew his son was angry with him and knew there was no need to prolong their goodbye. Rick watched as his father stood up, turned from him and walked away. And that was the last time he saw his father.  
  
The child in Rick cried for the father that abandoned him. The man in Rick refused to admit that even now, he longed to see his father again. He refused to admit that a part of him, a big part of him was still wounded, was still suffering because he had been left alone.   
  
And now, he was about to be a father. Would he desert his kid? He had, after all, overheard Sister Abigail say that 'the iniquities of the father are visited on the children'. She said that whatever iniquities the father had a tendency to engage in, the children would more than likely engage in those same offenses. And Rick had indulged in every sin, iniquity, trespass and offense known to man. And if it was true that his sins would be passed on to his kid... GOD help him.  
  
Rick would never what to cause a kid of his the pain he felt the day his Pa left him. He would never want his kid to go to bed every night disappointed because his Pa never came to get him. He never wanted a kid of his to feel unloved.  
  
That was why he lived such a reckless life and only associated with less than respectable women. He did not want to get attached to anyone. If he got attached, he might fall in love. If he fell in love, he might marry. And if he married, he might want a family. All of that would complicate his life and he wanted none of it  
  
And then she walked into his life.  
  
Rick actually grinned as he remembered the first time he saw Evelyn. It did not take him long to realize that he wanted to get attached to her. And after falling in love with Evelyn, Rick knew he would marry her. Once he had settled in his mind and heart that he would marry Evelyn and after she said 'yes' a small voice whispered that he wanted her to have his children.  
  
Then Rick heard 'I'm... I'm... expecting a baby'. The words rang loud and clear in his ears and they sent bolts of fear rushing through him. He had been a French legionnaire, he had put his life on the line may times. For heaven's sake, he had faced a 3,000 year old walking, talking mummy. He had done all of that without a trace of fear. But now, a baby, a tiny baby struck terror in his heart.  
  
What would he do? He couldn't, for Pete's sake, abandon his own kid, Rick thought immediately. It dawned on him then that he would never leave his kid and that realization lifted a heavy weight off his shoulders. Rick knew he still had a long way to go before he could be happy about the kid, but he felt as if he had taken the first step in that direction.  
  
When Rick finally walked through the front door it was nearing 3 am. He did not quite know what he would say to Evelyn but he knew he would smooth things over with her. When he turned the knob to the bedroom door, he found it was still locked. Rick assumed Evelyn was sound asleep and did not want to wake her, so he went back downstairs and stretched out on the couch.  
  
While Rick lay on the couch thinking about how much his life had changed in the last few months, Evelyn laid in bed thinking about how much her life would change in the next few months. 


	3. Decisions

Evelyn had heard the doorknob twist and lay there waiting for Rick to knock and demand she open the door. When she heard his footsteps fad away, she was a bit disappointed. Even though she would not have let him in the room, a small part of her wanted him to kick the door in, tell her he loved her beyond reason and he was happy about the baby. But instead, he walked away and a tear slipped down her cheek. Evelyn sighed as she turned on her side and closed her eyes, finally giving in to total exhaustion.  
  
When Evelyn opened her eyes again, the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. She rolled over onto her back looked up at the ceiling. She felt weak, weary and worn out. The few hours she had slept were fitful and restless. Her stomach began to feel its now usual morning queasiness and Evelyn grabbed her midsection and rolled to her side, willing the feeling to go away. As the seconds passed, the nausea grew worse and Evelyn moaned as she slowly rolled over, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. After taking a deep breath, Evelyn gradually stood up and her head started spinning. She breathed out a loud 'ooohhh' and held her head. After another deep breath, Evelyn took small steps and eventually made it to the bathroom.  
  
As her empty stomach lurched, Evelyn wondered when she would again be able to enjoy a morning that did not start off with her having her head in the commode. After her dry heaves ended, Evelyn pulled herself up on the sink, pushed her disheveled hair out of her face and looked into the mirror. She looked a mess. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying all night and there were dark rings under them. Her skin was paler than usual and had a sickly hue to it. Evelyn started to cry as she looked at the pathetic image that was staring back at her. After several minutes of feeling sorry for herself, Evelyn realized that looking at her pitiful reflection only aided in depressing her more. After washing her face and mouth, Evelyn turned from the mirror and walked slowly back to the bedroom. As she fell into bed, Evelyn was grateful that it was Saturday and she did not have to go to the museum.  
  
******************  
  
Rick's eyes flew opened and his body became taut the moment he heard movement upstairs. He felt like he was back in the Legion, sleeping on the hard ground but not really sleeping at all and jumping at the slightest sound. After gathering his wits and realizing he was on a couch in his own home, he relaxed a bit.   
  
Rick knew Evelyn was the source of the movements because it was much to early for Jonathan to be up and then he heard the sounds of Evelyn's morning ritual of vomiting. He wondered if he should go up and try to help but decided against it. For one thing, all he ever did was sit there and hold Evelyn's head while she puked. Another reason he decided to stay put was because Evelyn had turned into a morning grouch every since she started having morning sickness. And with the argument they had the night before, he knew her mood would be even worse than it normally was.  
  
Rick lay on the couch waiting for Evelyn to come downstairs but after a while he dozed back into a fitful sleep. About a ½ hour later, he woke with a start, not knowing how long he had been asleep. He listened to the quiet, still house for several moments then sat up. Rick wondered if Evelyn had come downstairs and left the house while he had dozed. He got up and went upstairs and found the bedroom door slightly opened.   
  
Rick walked into the bedroom to find Evelyn still in bed. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully put Rick at ease and he felt his body relax and release the tension it had been holding every since the previous night.   
  
Rick had not truly slept when he was on the couch and had just drifted to sleep moments before the sun began to rise. His exhaustion hit him suddenly and it hit him hard. He wearily stripped down to his underwear and climbed in bed. He fell asleep almost immediately and rolled closer to Evelyn. Evelyn instinctively rolled closer to him and sighed as her sleep became tranquil.  
  
When she woke up, Evelyn thought she was dreaming. Her face was buried in her husband's naked chest and his arm was lying across her hip. Evelyn moved slightly and in the next instance her posterior was being grasped quite possessively and she was being pulled into Rick's groan. He mumbled something and tightened his grip on her. Evelyn looked up into his sleeping face and thought he looked handsome. She pushed back the lock of hair that lay on his forehead then laid her hand on his cheek. She loved him so much and this was one of those special moments that she would mark down in her Book of Love.   
  
Then she began to wonder. Was the fight they had last night just a nightmare and not a reality? No, it had been quite real. She remembered very clearly the countless tears she had cried throughout the night as her heart broke at the thought that he did not want their baby.   
  
Why then was she snuggled comfortably in his arms? Why then was she feeling so safe.. and loved? Why then was she content to lay there and look at his handsome face for the remainder of the morning?  
  
Evelyn became angry with herself at how easily she fell into his arms. And in her emotional state, it did not matter that she was asleep when she had fallen. Evelyn silently berated herself because all he had to do was put his arms around her and she would succumb to him. Again, she ignored the fact that he had slipped into bed while she was asleep. And she ignored even more the fact that had she been awake when he came to bed, she would have in no wise turned him away.   
  
However, that was neither here nor there. She was expecting and he, she told herself for the millionth time, did not want their baby. Evelyn felt the tears welling up and lifted Rick's arm from her waist and rolled away from him. She got out of bed, grabbed fresh clothes and went to the bathroom to soak in the bathtub. After easing into the steaming water and sighing with contentment, Evelyn thought about how she would tell Rick about her decision.  
  
**************************  
  
Rick woke up and reached for Evelyn but only found a cold sheet. He opened his eyes and saw that he was alone in the bed. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was a quarter past one. He yawned and stretched his body, feeling so much better after getting some good sleep.  
  
Rick also felt better because with the new day came a new perspective. He was still scared, or rather, uneasy about having a kid but he loved Evelyn and he would do whatever he had to do to make things right between them. Even if it meant admitting how scared, no apprehensive, he was about having a kid. Even if it meant digging up those old memories about his Pa and sharing them with Evelyn to explain why he was not exactly happy about the news that he would become a father. Even if it meant telling Evelyn he was... scared, scared as hell.  
  
With his mind made up, Rick got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shave and bathe. After he finished, he went downstairs hoping to talk to Evelyn. When he did not find Evelyn in the sitting room reading, he walked into the kitchen but did not find her in there either. Then he saw the note and walked over to the table and picked it up.  
  
'I've gone to run a few errands' it said. It was not addressed to him and she had not signed it. Rick supposed he was still in boiling hot water with Evelyn. Rick balled up the note and tossed it in the kitchen trashcan. As he walked out of the kitchen, he knew he could not be mad with Evelyn. It was, after all, his fault and he was ready to admit that.  
  
Wanting Evelyn to return soon, Rick moped around the house feeling guilty. Every ½ hour he would look out the window hoping to see Evelyn coming up to the house. When it neared 5 o'clock, Rick began to worry. Evelyn should have been back by now. She couldn't have that many errands to run. Rick then wondered if she had gone to the museum and did not hesitate to find out.   
  
When Rick made it to the museum, it was already closed and he went around back. After banging on the door for several minutes, a tiny man came to the door.  
  
"Mr. O'Connell" he said in a heavy accent.  
  
"How ya doin' Hamid. Is my wife around?" he asked Evelyn's new helper.   
  
"No sir" Hamid said nervously. He was a little man and practically all other men towered over him. And this particular American foreigner seemed to instill fear in him. Maybe it was because he was always wearing guns and a frown.  
  
"Hamid" Rick said with a slight frown that did not ease Hamid's mind. "I'm not a 'sir'. It's Rick or O'Connell" he told him.  
  
From the first day Evelyn had introduced him to Hamid, he had called Rick 'sir' and Rick had asked him to call him 'Rick'. But for some reason Hamid kept calling him 'sir'.  
  
"Yes sir" Hamid shook his head.  
  
"Has she been here today?" Rick asked.  
  
"Earlier, but she left."  
  
"How long ago?"  
  
"Oh a while ago."  
  
"Did she mention where she was going?"  
  
"No" Hamid shook his head nervously.  
  
"Thanks" Rick said and turned and walked away.  
  
After shutting the door and locking it, Hamid turned around and breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Thank you Hamid" Evelyn said.  
  
"Mrs. O'Connell, that was quite harrowing" he said. "I really don't like lying. And especially to that husband of yours."  
  
"I'm sorry Hamid" Evelyn said, beginning to feel guilty for asking Hamid to lie. "I won't ever ask you to do that again" she smiled apologetically to him.  
  
Hamid returned the smile and they walked back to the library.  
  
Rick, meanwhile, was combing the streets of Cairo looking for his wife. After an hour, he headed back home hoping she was there. When he got home, she was not there and his worry began to turn into extreme anxiety. He paced the floor, looking out the window every five minutes. When thirty minutes had passed, Rick's imagination had conjured up visions of something awful happening to Evelyn. He even had the thought that Imhotep had somehow risen from the sands of Hamanaptra and stolen Evelyn from him.   
  
With thoughts of gloom consuming his mind, Rick walked quickly to the door intending to go searching for his lost wife. He reached for the doorknob, turned it and yanked the door open.  
  
"ooohhh!!"  
  
Rick collided into Evelyn and he had to grab her around the waist to keep her from falling. Evelyn held onto Rick's arm and steadied herself and once she was settled on her own tow feet, she letting go of him. Rick however, held on to her.  
  
"You OK?" he asked in a concerned voice that tempted Evelyn to waiver in the decision she had made.  
  
"I'm fine" she breathed, avoiding looking into his eyes.  
  
"You sure" he asked in a soft voice as he took his finger and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Yes I'm sure" she said, still not looking at him.  
  
"Where you been?" he asked.   
  
"I had some things to do. Are you going to let me in?"  
  
"Sorry" he said and stepped aside and let Evelyn inside the house.  
  
"I ah... I was getting worried" he said as watched her set her purse on the hall table. "I thought something had happened to you."  
  
"There was no need to worry" Evelyn said in a chilly voice. "I can take care of myself."  
  
Rick felt the sting of that chilly response and gritted his teeth. She was obviously still pretty mad at him and he wondered how hard it was going to be to get her to forgive him.  
  
"Evelyn..." he said as he followed her into the sitting room.  
  
"Rick, we need to talk" she said as she turned to face him.  
  
"Yeah, I know" he said, a little relieved that she was willing to talk to him.  
  
"I have something I need to say" Evelyn began.  
  
"I'm sorry about... about happened yesterday. I..."  
  
"Rick" Evelyn interrupted. "I need to say something and I want to say it and get it over with."  
  
"OK"  
  
"I've been thinking... since you... since you" she fought back her tears. "Since you aren't exactly happy about the baby..."  
  
"Evelyn" Rick said, wanting to explain to her.  
  
"Rick please. Let me finish. I've come to a decision that will be best for all of us."  
  
"What kind of decision?" Rick said.   
  
He did not like the sound of that. With Evelyn thinking he did not want the baby, would she try to get rid of it? He knew from his associations with ladies of the night that unwanted expectancies had a way of disappearing. He found the thought revolting but was not given to judging others.  
  
"I've decided... it would be best for all concerned..." Evelyn set her jaw as she looked into his eyes. "I... I..." she averted her gaze then finished. "I want a divorce." 


	4. Her Tears, His Temptation

A/N: Thanks Everyone for your reviews.   
  
Marcher, AJ Mackey and EvieFan, you all made me blush with your 'welcome back'. Thanks so very much.  
  
AJ Mackey, I must say that you really made me feel all fuzzy with your 'where in the world have ya been' :) Thank you so much for being a fan. I am truly glad that you are enjoying my story telling . Now, as far as a 'happy ending', I noticed you slid that in both of your reviews. Are you trying to hint at something???? Well, I'm still that hopeless romantic that I was when I wrote my very first Rick & Evy story. So how else can it end except happy? :) I simply I hope I don't disappoint you guys.   
  
I must warn you though, this chapter may be a bit bumpy, but remember that real love always stands the test.   
  
Also, about what Rick is drinking: I'm not a drinker so I don't know what gives a wallop. 'Black Vodka' sounds like it can pack a wallop so I used it. Please excuse if it's a wimpy drink! :)  
  
Now on to part 4.  
Happy Reading.  
  
  
  
"A di- what?!!" Rick yelled, startling Evelyn.  
  
"A divorce" Evelyn said as calmly as she could.  
  
"You want a divorce?!" he stared angrily at Evelyn.  
  
"Yes" she said as she straightened her back. He was not about to intimidate her with his anger.  
  
Rick gritted his teeth and looked hard at Evelyn with a frown. She wanted a divorce. His eyes became glossy and he felt as if he had been hit in the gut with a pillar of stone. She wanted a divorce.   
  
"Rick..." Evelyn said but did not know quite what to say next.  
  
His frown became fiercer and the pool of water in his eyes began to rise. She wanted a divorce. A sick feeling started in the pit of his stomach and began to rise and Rick felt as if he would choke. She wanted a divorce. Rick could not hold back his tears and before they fell, he turned away from Evelyn.  
  
"Rick..." she called out to him but he walked out of the room.  
  
Evelyn repented of her decision the moment that she looked into his eyes. The despair she saw ripped at her already torn heart. His despair matched hers and the sick feeling in her stomach made her realize that she had made another terrible mistake. Of course she did not WANT a divorce. She loved him. She loved him with all her heart. There HAD to be a way to work things out between them.  
  
"Rick!" Evelyn ran after him. "Rick!" she called as he opened the front door and slammed it shut. Evelyn opened the door and rushed onto the porch. "RICK!" she yelled as he got into Jonathan's car and slammed the door shut.  
  
Evelyn looked on as he sped off. She watched and watched, hoping he would come back. But he never did. Evelyn stood there crying silently for several moments before slowly turning and going back inside the house. After closing the door, she leaned her head against it and let out a sob. Her sobs grew louder and as the weight of the world settled on her shoulders, Evelyn sank to the hardwood floor.  
  
To her way of thinking, Evelyn had presented Rick with the only logical solution she knew of that would let him walk away. She thought she was doing what was best for all of them. But it was quite apparent that the only thing she succeeded in doing was hurting the man she loved. As she remembered the hopelessness in his eyes, she knew he was devastated. She had been. She was still.   
  
When Evelyn had made up her mind to tell Rick she wanted a divorce it was the most difficult thing she had ever done. And now, after seeing the pain in his eyes, a pain that she had caused, her heart cried out. She desperately wished he would come back. She would tell him that she was sorry. She would tell him that she did not want a divorce. She would tell him that she loved him, wanted him... and their baby. She would insist that he forgive her for making such a hasty, irrational decision. For making such a mess of things. For causing him so much pain. If only he would come back, she would tell him. But he never came back.  
  
Evelyn did not know how long she had been sitting there crying when Jonathan knelt down beside her.  
  
"Evy" he said in an urgent voice as he touched her shoulder. "Evy" his worry very evident, even to a sobbing Evelyn. "What's wrong?"  
  
Evelyn did not answer Jonathan, but instead pushed herself away from the door and leaned into him. She was grateful for Jonathan. Though he was most irresponsible, she knew without a doubt that he loved her and when she needed him most, he always seemed to be there. And she needed him now more that she had ever needed him.   
  
"What's wrong Evy?" Jonathan asked again, his anxiety increasing. "Tell me what's wrong?" he said as he held her tightly in his arms and tried to comfort her.  
  
Evelyn did not answer him but continued to cry. She had not cried since she was a tiny little girl. She had not even cried when their parents died. And now, Evelyn, strong dependable Evelyn was wailing uncontrollably. Jonathan became most unnerved because he had never seen Evy so completely distraught. He was at a loss as to what to do, so Jonathan simply held his sister and let her cry.  
  
********************  
  
Rick had pushed the gas petal to the floor in an attempt to outrun his pain. She wanted a divorce. The feeling in his stomach was worst than when his Pa left him at the convent. She wanted a divorce. His heart had been ripped out of his chest when she said that and the pain was excruciating, almost unbearable.  
  
The last 3 months had been the best of his entire life. Rick never thought he could ever be truly happy. Then he met her and she changed his entire life. She was a breath of fresh air the first time he saw her. He had been rotting away in that stinking prison and she came along. She saved his life, made him fall in love with her and the rest was heaven on earth.  
  
And now she wanted a divorce. His heaven had quickly turned to hell.  
  
Rick punched the steering wheel as rage and hurt boiled over in him. His life would be nothing without her. It would have been better had she never come into his life. He would have preferred never having known her to knowing her and falling in love with her only to have her walk away from him.   
  
Rick gritted his teeth as a tear slid down his cheek. Hopelessness began to suffocate him as, in his mind's eye, he kept seeing Evelyn turn and walk away from him. Then he saw his father. And he too turned and walked away.  
  
Evelyn's 'decision' had plunged a knife into his heart. Conjured up memories of his father's abandonment only served to twist the knife deeper. His father. His wife. The only two people in the world he had ever loved. He lost his father all those years ago and now he was losing his wife.  
  
It all had become too overwhelming for him and instincts lead Rick to the only solace he knew. When he walked in, not much had changed since the last time he had been there. He quickly found himself a table and sat down.  
  
"What will you be having?" the serving girl came up to his table and asked.  
  
"Bring me two bottles of Black Vodka" Rick said. Tonight he wanted to drown his sorrow and dull the ache in his heart. He wanted to drink himself into oblivion and forget about everything. Black Vodka would do the trick.  
  
Rick was looking around the room and taking inventory of the 'ladies' when a redhead caught his eye. Before Evelyn, his inclination leaned heavily toward redheads but he was not sure why. Maybe the reason was because of the way the hot red of the hair contrasted with the soft ivory of the skin. But whatever the reason, Rick was attracted. When the redhead finally turned her gaze to him, an artificial smile spread across Rick's face as he beckoned her over.  
  
"Hello" she said in a very seductive voice when she stood next to Rick.  
  
"Have a seat" he said as he pushed the chair out with his foot. "Want a drink?" he asked when she had settled in the chair.  
  
"No thank you" she said sweetly.  
  
This one, she thought, was young, strong and handsome. She did not need a drink this time to aid her in doing her job. Drink dulled her senses and helped her forget. But for this one, she wanted her senses alert so that she could feel and remember everything.  
  
"No?" he said as the serving girl set his two whiskey bottles on the table. "Well, I guess that means more for me" he said as he unscrewed the first bottle and lifted it to his lips. "So" Rick said after the hard liquor slithered down his throat. "You got a room here?"  
  
"Right upstairs" the redhead smiled. This one wasted no time and she liked that. Lately she had been plagued with old, almost lifeless men. But now, now she had a vibrant, young buck.  
  
"You sure you don't want a drink?" Rick asked as he took another swallow.  
  
"Quite sure" she gave him tempting smile. "I don't perform my best if I have too much to drink."  
  
"That so?" Rick said after taking yet another gulp. "I guess I'd better stop offering then since we want you to perform at your best" he said. "So how good are you?" he asked in the next breath.  
  
"Good enough to make you forget everything else" she said enticingly.  
  
"That good huh?"  
  
"That good" she affirmed as she ran her tongue over her lower lip. "Are you ready to find out for yourself just how good I am?"  
  
Was he ready to be unfaithful to Evelyn? The thought of her reminded him of the anger that was brewing just below the surface. She had hurt him more than she would ever know. He wanted to lash out at her and hurt her just as she had hurt him.  
  
"More than ready" he said as he stood up and grabbed the two bottles of Black Vodka.  
  
The redhead smiled as she rose to her feet and lead the way upstairs. 


	5. Good Choice

Rick turned the first bottle up to his lips as he followed the redhead. The liquid burned as it went down his throat. He was on his way to building a barrier around his fragile, vulnerable heart. He was on his way to killing the throbbing ache in his chest. He was on his way to forgetting the past 3 months of his life. He was on his way to making the hell he was in a little more bearable.   
  
When they got to her room, Rick turned the Black Vodka up until he had drained the bottle dry. When he finished, he set both bottles down on the dresser and walked around and stood at the foot of the bed. He looked at the redhead and waited to see what she would do. She knew without words being spoken that he wanted her to come to him and so she did.  
  
The redhead smiled as she slowly walked towards Rick. She could sense that he had a lot of pinned up emotion in him. She enjoyed it when a man, especially a good looking, brawny man unleashed that passion in her bed. When she reached him, she put her hands on his shoulders and could feel the immense tension there. She surmised that she would have to work harder to get this one to relax and enjoy himself.  
  
"You're so tense" she smiled as she rubbed his strong shoulders.  
  
Rick did not respond but simply looked down at the redhead. Nothing in him responded to the smile that shone brightly up at him. Three months ago, she would have been flat on her back by now. But now... he had a wife. A wife that he loved. But she had hurt him, hurt him bad and, he told himself, he wanted retribution.  
  
"Well..." he smiled a tight smile. "If you're as good as you say... that can be taken care of."  
  
"Yes it can" she smiled as she stood up on her toes to reach his lips.  
  
Rick made no attempt to move closer to the redhead. He began to wonder what the hell he was doing there. Her lips nearly hit their mark but Rick turned his head.  
  
"Oh" the redhead released a small laugh. "Playing hard to get?"  
  
Rick turned his expression back to her but did not say anything. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing. No passion, no desire, no arousal. Nothing. This would be harder than she first thought. But she was not one to give up so easily. She reached up again to kiss his lips and again he turned his head. Undaunted, the redhead pressed the kiss into his cheek.  
  
Rick closed his eyes tight in order to shut out everything that mattered. To shut out Evelyn. He felt the redhead's lips move from his cheek to his neck. He tried with all his mental might to push Evelyn out, but she would not go. He was standing in a room with a luscious woman who was more than willing to please him in whatever way he wanted. His head should have been consumed with that. But Evelyn would not leave his mind alone. He was hurt, hurt by her but she consumed his mind. She consumed his heart. She consumed his soul. She consumed even his body. She totally consumed him.  
  
Rick opened his eyes and looked at his reflection in the mirror. This was not what he wanted, not really. Try as he might, Rick could not push Evelyn out of his mind or his soul... or his heart. He could not seem to build that barrier of protection around his heart. His heart no longer belonged to him. It was in her hands. It belonged to her. He was no longer in his own hands. He was in her hands. He belonged to her. And her only.   
  
Rick grabbed the redhead by the arms and set her at arm's length away from him. He looked at her round, pale face. Her fire red hair. Her seductive eyes and willing lips. Her creamy white neck. Her bulging bosom.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
She was not Evelyn.  
  
Evelyn wanted a divorce.   
  
The redhead wanted to please him.  
  
He did not love the redhead.  
  
He had not love the countless other women.  
  
But he loved Evelyn.  
  
Evelyn had hurt him.  
  
It did not matter. He still loved Evelyn.  
  
He deserved to enjoy the redhead since his wife no longer wanted to be his wife.  
  
He did not want to enjoy the redhead. He wanted his wife.  
  
Forget about Evelyn.  
  
The redhead, Black Vodka, his mental fortitude - none of them could entice him to do that.   
  
But Evelyn wanted a divorce. Evelyn wanted to walk away from him as his father had done.  
  
Once things got heated up with the redhead...  
  
His heart was not in it.  
  
His heart did not need to be in it. Only his body.  
  
His heart belonged to Evelyn. And so did his body.  
  
Enjoy the redhead for one night.  
  
His heart would not let him do it. He loved Evelyn too much.  
  
Evelyn wanted a divorce.  
  
He'd be damned if she got one!  
  
"Sorry lady" Rick said, then released her and walked toward the dresser.  
  
"You're leaving?" she stated the obvious.  
  
"Yeah" he said as he reached into his pocket.  
  
"Why?" she asked, quite disappointed.  
  
"You and my friends here" he said pointing to the Black Vodka bottles. "Couldn't make me forget" he answered as he slung a couple of pounds on the dresser.  
  
"Forget what?"  
  
"The wife I love" he said as he picked up his two friends and opened the door.  
  
"If you give me a chance I know I can make you forget her" she said desperately. "At least for tonight." She did not want this one to get away before she had a chance to have him in her bed.  
  
"You'd be wasting your time and mine" he said then turned to face her. He had a smile, a genuine smile on his face. "I want her more than I want you. I don't want to forget. Not tonight. Not ever."  
  
The redhead looked at Rick with regret. Oh how she hated the fact that tonight, she would miss out on what she suspected would have been a very pleasurable evening.  
  
Rick gave her a look of apology and turned and walked out of the redhead's room and down the stairs. He was still hurt and he was still angry. But now he was angry with himself for running to a whorehouse. Regardless of what happened between him and Evelyn, seeking out other women, especially whores, was not the answer. What he should have done was tell her in no uncertain terms that a divorce was absolutely out of the question. He should have made that point perfectly clear to her. But instead, he went running to the House of Ill Repute, a name he once heard Sister Abigail use to describe a bordello.  
  
And now guilt rose up and assaulted him. Evelyn was worth more than the world to him and he had been ready to risk all they had for some redheaded trollop. How stupid could he be?   
  
On his way out, Rick stopped at the bar and traded his empty Black Vodka for 2 more full ones. He paid for the 2 new bottles and walked out of the bordello with 3. The Black Vodka could not drown out Evelyn, but maybe it could drown out his guilt.   
  
Rick got into Jonathan's car and pulled off. He did not know where to go so he simply drove. After about an hour, he ended up at the walls of The Convent of St. Mary - the place that had been home to him. Rick wondered if Sister Abigail had made it back from America. He had come by to tell her about his engagement to Evelyn and invite her to their wedding but she had left for America the day before.  
  
Rick thought about requesting entrance and an audience with Sister Abigail if she was there. But he quickly changed his mind. For one thing, if she were there, she was most likely asleep. And for another thing, if he got anywhere near Sister Abigail, she would probably smell the liquor on his breath and the stench of a whorehouse on his clothes. And knowing her, Sister Abigail would not hesitate to get her chastening rod and whack him across the back of the hand. Rick actually laughed aloud at that mental picture.  
  
Rick got out of the car, leaving the Black Vodka, and walked around to the backside of the convent. When he lived there, he and a couple of the other young boys dug a tunnel from inside the wall to the outside. They would often sneak out after the sisters had settled down for the night. Rick wondered if the tunnel was still there and was happy to see that it was. The bush that covered the opening had grown thick but he was able to squeeze through and into the tunnel. Once inside the walls, Rick headed for the chapel. As a young boy, he would go there whenever he was especially sad.   
  
Once inside the chapel, Rick found a lantern and lit it. After drinking a bottle of Black Vodka and nearly committing fornication and adultery, Rick could not make himself go up to the altar so he sat on the last row of pews and looked up at the imposing cross of Jesus. Sister Abigail said that Jesus loved him and would forgive anything he did. Rick was not sure about what he believed about this Jesus. But he wondered, if He was real, would He really forgive him. Would He forgive him for being a whoremonger, for nearly being unfaithful to Evelyn? Would He forgive him for the bottle of liquor he had drank and would He forgive him for the 3 in the car that he was going to drink? Sister Abigail said He would forgive anything.  
  
But would Evelyn? Did Evelyn really have to know where he had gone tonight? No, she did not have to know. But would he be able to hide his guilt? That is where the Black Vodka would come in. Rick hoped like hell.. oops, excuse me. He hoped, REALLY hoped it would wash away his guilt.  
  
'Confession is good for the soul' he heard Sister Abigail say. But Rick would rather try Black Vodka first. If he confessed this to Evelyn, not only would she want a divorce, but she would also want his head on a platter.  
  
Now about that divorce.  
  
Rick frowned. She may want a divorce but he did not. After meeting Evelyn, he realized he had been waiting all his life for someone to love. After his Pa left him at the convent and never came back for him, Rick told himself that he never wanted to get close to another human being. He wanted to be left alone because getting close to others only ended in hurt. But he had, albeit reluctantly, been drawn to Sister Abigail.   
  
When he first saw her, Rick thought Sister Abigail was the meanest looking person he had ever seen in his 4 short years of life. But, as time went by, he learned that looks can be deceiving. She was strict all right. He got the chastening rod many, many, many times. But... every night, when he was supposed to be asleep, she would come in and tuck his covers in just a bit. She would rub his dark blond hair and bend down and kiss his temple. 'The angles watch over you' she would whisper over him before leaving his room.  
  
Sister Abigail looked after him. She cared for him whenever he got sick. Over the years, a strong bond had developed between them. She was the only mother he had ever known. The day he left the convent, Sister Abigail had walked with him to the entrance. As they faced each other to say 'goodbye' she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She raised her hand to his cheek and smiled.  
  
"I am going to miss you son" she said. "Go and do great things and know that you are loved."  
  
Rick had been choked up that day and all he could do was bend down and hug and kiss Sister Abigail on the cheek before turning and leaving his home.   
  
Rick grinned as he remembered growing up in the convent and realized for the first time that his childhood was not so bad after all. His Pa may have abandoned him but Sister Abigail did all she could to make up for that.  
  
And now Evelyn wanted to abandon him. He was only a 4-year-old kid when his Pa left him and he could not do anything about it. Now, however, he was a man and he was not about to let the woman he loved walk away from him.   
  
Not when he knew he was loved.   
  
Evelyn loved him. He was sure of it. Her love was one of the few things had total confidence in. What he did not know was what on earth had possessed her to say she wanted a divorce. Was she really that mad at him for not jumping for joy about the kid? Maybe she was. Rick knew he did not know much about the gentler sex except what he learned between the bed sheets. And after marrying Evelyn, he understood women even less. He loved Evelyn but she was still a woman and sometimes she did things that left him scratching his head.  
  
Rick was determined to find out what was wrong with Evelyn. And after he did, they would work things out between them. He stood up and as he walked to the altar, he reached into his pocket. Rick laid a handful of pounds on the altar then turned and walked out of the chapel. When he got back to the car, his 3 friends were waiting for him. And so was the guilt. Tonight, he would go and have a good time with his friends and hopefully kill the guilt. In the morning, he would sit Evelyn down and let her know that the only way she would get a divorce would be over his dead body.  
  
Rick drove around for another 30 minutes before pulling the car into his backyard. He knew he was going to get pretty drunk and he did not want to be so boozed that he could not drive himself home. So he did it before he got boozed. And boozed he got. He slowly drank each bottle, one after the other until all 3 where empty. He had began to feel its affects after drinking ½ of that first bottle and by the time he had emptied it, Rick was one jolly drunk.  
  
"To... my... wife" he raised the second bottle in a toast. "My beau... tee... ful... wife!" he slurred then took a swallow. "aaahhh" he breathed as the liquid slithered down his throat. "Who THINKS... she's gettin' a damn divorce. Well... the answer... is... no!" he said in a drunken tone before taking another swig. "I love ya too much Evy... love ya too much" he declared.  
  
When Rick finally got to the last bottle, his head was spinning. He knew he would regret it in the morning, but drowning himself in booze seemed to help to help him get through the past few hours. With his friends all gone, Rick saw no reason to stay in the car so he got out and staggered around to the front of the house.   
  
'Who the hell was that?' he thought when he saw a clad figure pacing across his front porch. He could not see clearly because the moon was not out and there were only a few stars to light the night sky. And he was drunk. Then the figure turned toward him and Rick saw that he held a shotgun in his hand. 'What the hell?' he sobered quickly. Then he saw the figure raise the shotgun and he heard the click.  
  
"What the bloody hell did you do to my sister?!"  
  
He mentally breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Jonathan. If it had be a foe he would have been at a great disadvantage considering the fact that he did not have any weapons. And besides that, he was drunk, completely drunk.  
  
"Jonathan!" Rick yelled in a cheerful voice, happy, extremely happy to see his brother-in-law.  
  
"Answer my question you bloody damn yank!"  
  
"What question?" Rick said as he stumbled his way toward the porch.  
  
"WHAT the bloody hell did you do to my sister?!"  
  
"Why the hell are you..." he said as he pointed at wavering finger at Jonathan. "Pointing that gun at me?"  
  
"I plan on shooting you after you tell me what you did to my sister! I warned you O'Connell! Not to hurt my sister or else you'd answer to me!"  
  
"I'm drunk. Drunk as hell but I don't remember it quite that way" Rick grinned a silly grin.  
  
Jonathan had quite nervously and in a stuttering voice told Rick on their wedding day that he had better take good care of Evelyn. Or... yes, well he had just better take good care of Evelyn or else. The rest, Jonathan thought, was understood.  
  
"I'm only going to ask you ONE MORE TIME!! What did you do to my sister?!"  
  
Instead of answering, Rick began to laugh. Jonathan's ire rose another notch and he was secretly glad. The angrier he got, the braver he got.  
  
"What the hell is so funny O'Connell?!"  
  
"You... don't... have... aaannnnyyyy... bullets" he laughed as he took one unsteady step, then another up the steps. The gun Jonathan was holding was the only Rick was cleaning when Evelyn told him the news about the kid.  
  
Jonathan pointed the gun away from Rick and pulled the trigger. Nothing. Jonathan became even angrier because he was not doing a good job of avenging his sister. He threw the shotgun down in frustration and before he could think better of it, Jonathan reared back and with all his might and anger, threw a punch at Rick. He was surprised when he connected squarely with Rick's jaw and sent him sprawling back down the steps. Rick landed in a heap on his back as Jonathan shook the pain from his hand. Then Jonathan, who was spurred on by his fury at Rick and by the fact that Rick was drunk, bounded down the steps after him  
  
"Get up!" he said as he stood over Rick. "Damned yank."  
  
Rick slowly sat up holding his jaw. Jonathan backed up a few steps and pondered the wisdom of challenging his brother-in-law. But, this bloody, no good scoundrel had done something to his sister. And he was about to find out what.  
  
"Come on! Get up!" Jonathan said as he held up his fists and started dancing around like a boxer. He figured that if he kept moving, it would be hard for a drunk Rick to land a punch.  
  
"Jonathan" Rick slurred as he moved his jaw to see if it was broken. "I'm... not about... to fight you" he said.  
  
Even in his drunken state, Rick knew he could still beat Jonathan to a pulp. And if he did that, Evelyn would not like it.  
  
"What's the matter cad?! Afraid of facing a man?!" Jonathan said and knew how ridiculous he sounded.   
  
Jonathan knew Rick was not afraid of anything, let alone him. He also knew he was taking his life into his own hands by provoking Rick. But he was doing this for his sister and that gave him courage - or made him stupid.  
  
"You really..." Rick said as he turned to the side and got up on his hands and knees. "Wanna..." he said as he put one foot on the ground and leaned his elbow on his thigh. "fight me?" he had to still his movements because he was getting extremely dizzy. "What the hell are you going?" Rick asked in the next breath when he looked up and saw Jonathan dancing around.  
  
"I'll have you know, I took boxing lessons in my younger days" Jonathan continued to dance, bob and weave. "Now get up!!"  
  
"Alright... Jonathan" Rick said as he pushed himself up on his feet. "But..." he staggered a bit then lifted his fists. "You'd better not tell Evelyn..." Rick's head snapped back.  
  
Jonathan threw a punch and it landed on Rick's nose. Jonathan was not a fool and he would take any advantage he could. He really did not feel much like getting beat to a pulp.  
  
Rick grabbed his nose then looked at Jonathan through blood shot eyes. He steadied himself on his feet and took steps toward the bobbing Jonathan. Rick used great concentration as he eyed his opponent. Jonathan's incessant movement did not help Rick with his aim but he threw a punch. And missed. He stumbled forward on shaky feet and with his guard down, Jonathan landed another punch to his jaw.  
  
Jonathan was feeling pretty cocky now and actually grinned. "Come on O'Connell! Is that all you've got?!"  
  
Rick's male ego had taken enough. He was getting the crap beaten out of him by Jonathan. By Jonathan!  
  
"Jonathan..." Rick said as he turned back to face him. "When I get my hands on you..." Rick said then charged him.  
  
Rick knew he was too drunk to hit a moving target. But he was not too drunk to chase one. Jonathan recognized his imminent peril and his bravo took flight. And he soon followed.  
  
The two men, a.k.a. boys, ran around the front yard for several moments until Rick was finally able to reach out and grab Jonathan by the collar. Jonathan tried to pull away but Rick's grip was firm. Jonathan, fearing for his life, knew it was all over now. Rick pulled Jonathan to him and wrapped his arm around Jonathan's neck. A survival instinct struck Jonathan and he bowed Rick in the ribs. Rick's hold loosened and Jonathan escaped, for just a second. Rick quickly recovered and charged Jonathan again and this time jumped on his back causing them both to bound to the ground.  
  
The two tussled on the ground for several moments until Rick subdued Jonathan by straddling him. Rick raised his fist to punch Jonathan but, even in his drunken state and even with his bruised ego, Rick did not want to knock his lights out. Not really.  
  
"What the hell were you doing pointing my gun at me?" Rick asked, his fist still raised.  
  
"What the hell did you do to my sister?!" Jonathan asked defiantly. He was in a very precarious position but he loved his sister and he was determined to find out why she was so upset.  
  
"Evelyn..." Rick said, then rolled off of Jonathan and sat next to him on the ground.  
  
"Yes Evelyn" Jonathan said as he sat up and frowned at his brother-in-law.  
  
"She wants a divorce" Rick said as he rested his forearms on his bent knees.  
  
"A divorce? What did you do to her?!"  
  
"Nothing!" Rick defended himself.  
  
"Well she doesn't want a divorce for nothing! I swear O'Connell... if you hurt her!" Jonathan warned.  
  
"She pregnant..." Rick mumbled.   
  
"What?"  
  
"She's pregnant..."  
  
"Aaahhh" Jonathan shook his head then grinned. "Evy's having a baby. I'm going to be an uncle" Jonathan suddenly realized. "Congratulations old chap" Jonathan said cheerfully as he slapped Rick on the back.  
  
"And she wants a divorce" Rick reminded Jonathan.  
  
"What did you do?" Jonathan asked again.  
  
"Nothing" Rick said. "She told me she was pregnant. It sort of took me by surprise. She thinks I don't want the kid. Then she started crying" Rick explained. "Then we had a fight... then she told me she wanted a divorce."  
  
"Oh" Jonathan said. "She can't want a divorce just because you two had a fight."   
  
"She thinks I don't want the kid. Maybe that's why" Rick pondered.  
  
"Why does she think you don't want the baby?"  
  
"I don't know" Rick lied, then immediately confessed. "I wasn't exactly thrilled about it."  
  
"So you don't want children?" Jonathan asked. He understood well. He did not see himself in the role of a father either.  
  
"It's not that exactly" he said then paused a moment. "I'm just not sure... what kind of father I'd be" Rick said honestly.  
  
"I see" Jonathan shook his head. "Well, I know Evy's going to be a great mother. Just follow her lead and you'll do fine" he said encouragingly.  
  
"You think so" Rick said.  
  
"Sure" Jonathan said confidently. "If you can stay married to the woman" he said teasingly as he lightly punched Rick in the arm. "You'd better get go on up there. I'd hate for my niece or nephew to have to depend on me as a father figure."  
  
Rick laughed, but had a feeling that Jonathan would make a descent father figure. However, Jonathan would not have to do it for his kid.  
  
"Jonathan" Rick said as he started to rise to his feet.  
  
"Huh?" Jonathan said as he too rose to his feet.  
  
"If you ever tell another living soul about tonight... I'll kill you."  
  
"Don't worry old chap" Jonathan said. "No one has to know you were bested by me" he laughed.  
  
As the brothers-in-law walked up to the steps and the front door opened.   
  
"Rick?" Evelyn said and he could hear the sadness in her voice.  
  
"I'll leave you too alone" Jonathan said. "Where's my car O'Connell?"  
  
"Around back" he said, looking at Evelyn.  
  
"The keys?"  
  
"In the ignition."  
  
Jonathan quickly exited and left the parents to be alone. 


	6. Just When He Thought All Was Well

Rick walked slowly toward the steps because he was still extremely sensitive to the affects of the Black Vodka. His head was pounding and his jaw and nose were beginning to hurt. The Black Vodka and Jonathan had landed a few really good ones.  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said as she watched him drag his feet as he walked up to the steps. "I'm so..."  
  
"Ev... lyn" he interrupted her as he stumbled toward the first step. "A dee vorce..." he said in a drunken voice as he shook his head 'no' and put one foot up on the first step. "Is ab... so... loot.. lee out da quest.. ion" he slurred. "I..."  
  
"I don't want a divorce" she interrupted him as a tear slid down her cheek.  
  
"I'm drunk E.. v.. e.. l.. y.. n" Rick continued, saying her name slowly, her statement not registering in his inebriated mind. "I'm drunk. Vvveee...rreee drunk" he proclaimed. "Damn drunk!" he said as he held onto the stair rail and tried to lift his other foot up on the step. "BUT!..." he held up one finger after his other foot landed on the step. "I'm NOT lettin' you go. No way! No way in hell... I'm lettin you go. Damn!" he said when he attempted to advance up to the next step. "It's hard climbin' these steps when you're drunk."  
  
"Rick..." Evelyn said as she watched him struggled up the steps.  
  
"Answer's no Evy!" he interrupted her again. "You can NOT" he shook his head again. "Have a dee... vorce. Don't care what you say." Rick had made it to the second to the last step and grabbed hold of the porch banister to steady himself. "I love you Evy" he said as he leaned on the banister for support and looked at her with bloodshot eyes that were glassy with emotion. "'Fore you... 'fore you came along... my life was pretty damn empty. Nothin'. It was nothin'."  
  
Evelyn looked on with tears in her eyes as Rick began to pour out his heart to her.  
  
"Then you..." he pointed at her from the second to the last step. "You came along. And you know what you did Evy?!" he asked.  
  
Evelyn shook her head.  
  
"I'll tell ya! You made me fall in love" he said. "See... I told myself I said 'Self! We don't need nobody. Let's juss live life. Have fun. Live life on da edge. Get whatcha can. But nev...va! Nev...va! Get ya self 'tached to nobody. It a bad thing... gettin' 'tached to somebody and they turn round and leave ya'" Rick said and Evelyn saw the tears well up in his eyes. "But anyhow..." Rick said, feeling the tears coming. "I thought I was havin plenty fun livin' this life with no cares, no strings, no body else... nobody but me. Then you..." he pointed at her again. "You saved my neck. Sister Abby...gail prob...blee would say you were my savin' angel. You saved my neck" he declared once more. "Then you made me fall in love with you and made me realize I wasn't havin' much fun living life alone. You made me see that I did need somebody and that it wasn't so bad bein' 'tached. 'Tached to you. You..." Rick waggled his finger at Evelyn. "You did a number on me."  
  
"I think it hap...pened when I first saw you" Rick smiled. "I thought I was crazy, thinkin I had fall...en in love juss like that" he tried, unsuccessfully, to snap his fingers. "Juss one look at you and I was a goner but I didn't fess up to it, 'specially after I heard you say you didn't like me 'one bit'" he tried to imitate Evelyn's accent. "And what was that you called me?" Rick grinned again.  
  
"Filthy..." Evelyn whispered as she cried. "Rude. A complete scoundrel."  
  
"Yeah!" he said pointing at her. "That's it! That's what you called me!" Rick tried to sound offended. "Didn't think I heard that part huh?" he teased her. "Then you insulted my kiss. I thought it was a damn good kiss myself! Didn't think I did too bad considerin' I was behind bars and gettin' the hell beat outta me."  
  
"It was lovely" Evelyn said as she wiped tears away.  
  
"You were lovely" he said and he sounded ½ sober.  
  
A big teardrop fell over Evelyn's lashes.  
  
"See what you've done to me" Rick said as he held his arms out wide. "You got me talking like a pansy. Geez Evelyn! If some of the fellas from the Legion saw me now... all turned inside out for a woman. I wouldn't live it down. You made me soft Evy" Rick said as he looked at her with soft eyes. "Turned me into a lovesick hounddog."  
  
Evelyn could do nothing but stand there and smile at him as the tears continued to slide down her face.  
  
"And after all that... you think I'm gonna let you get away from me? I... don't think so" he said as he took a step up on the porch. "I fell hard for ya Evy... and I can't let you go, let you walk away... walk away like my Pa did."  
  
Evelyn was surprised to hear Rick mention his father. She knew he had grown up in a Cairo orphanage. She knew about a Sister Abigail who looked out for him. She knew his mother had died giving birth to him. But his father. When Evelyn had asked Rick about him, Rick simply shrugged his shoulders and said 'Nothing to tell'. Evelyn instinctively knew that Rick did not want to discuss his father so she did not press the matter. But now, it seemed as if he was ready to tell her all about his father.  
  
"I was only 4..." Rick choked as he remembered that day. "He left me Evy, and never came back" Rick said, the sadness in his voice overwhelmingly obvious.   
  
Evelyn was now crying for the man she loved. His grief was most evident in his eyes, in his words, in his voice. His father had abandoned him. It was unthinkable to Evelyn because she had a father who treasured her dearly. She knew parents who cherished and protected her and Jonathan. She knew a home that was warm and full of love.   
  
But Rick, her husband, the man she loved with all her heart did not know those things. He had never known his mother. He had never known a home that was filled with a mother and father's love. He had been alone for most of his life, not knowing the love and security of a family. All he knew was a father who had abandoned him. And now he thought that she would abandon him too. Then suddenly he looked like that abandoned, lonely 4-year-old and Evelyn's heart broke yet again.  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said softly. "I'm so sorry."  
  
"You don't hafta be sorry. If I hadn't grown up in Cairo, I might not of joined the Legion. Then I wouldn't of gone to Hamunaptra. No Hamunaptra, no 'puzzle box', no puzzle box... no you" he gazed lovingly at her.  
  
Evelyn was the reason he did not feel alone anymore. She was the reason he was not alone anymore. She was the reason he knew what living a happy life really meant. She was the reason he felt a sense of joy. She was the reason he felt loved. She was the reason he was loved.  
  
Evelyn's weeping increased as she took a step toward her husband. On unsteady feet, Rick met her ½ way and wrapped his arms around her waist while she laid her hands and forehead on his chest.  
  
"Rick" she sobbed into his chest. "I'm so sorry about tonight and what I said. I don't want a divorce."  
  
Rick held Evelyn tighter, happy, extremely happy that she did not want to leave him. But why, he wondered in his fuddled mind, did she even say she wanted to divorce him?  
  
"Why'd ya say it Evy?" he asked in a voice that was full of sorrow.  
  
"god! Rick!" Evelyn cried even more hearing the dejection in his voice. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I thought I was doing the right thing..."  
  
"The right thing?" Rick said. How could divorcing him be the right thing?  
  
"Well..." Evelyn said as she pulled back just enough to look up at him. "When I told you about the baby... I didn't think you wanted... you didn't seem happy..." It was Evelyn's turn to ramble. "I thought I had made a mess of everything. Marrying you so soon... I didn't know what else to do... I thought I had to choose between you and the baby... I didn't think you really loved me..."  
  
"Why did you think that?" Rick asked, hating the fact that she could ever think he did not love her.  
  
"You don't want the baby..." Evelyn said, still crying. "How could you love me and not want our baby?"  
  
"It's not that Evy. I swear it's not" he said, trying to assure her. "I... I..." he said, finding it hard to tell Evelyn that he was afraid of being a father. "I'm scared Evy" Rick finally said.  
  
"Scared?" she said as she tried wiping her tears again. "Of what?"   
  
"I'm scared... I don't wanna mess things up. I don't wanna mess up with this kid."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I need to sit down" Rick said as he turned back towards the steps. "I'm feeling dizzy" he said as he stepped down one step and sat down on the porch. The Black Vodka's potency seemed to be on the upswing.   
  
Evelyn followed and sat down next to Rick and hooked her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder. Rick turned and kissed her on the forehead.  
  
"When I was 4" Rick started. "Me and my Pa came over here from America. He took me to the convent but I didn't wanna stay. I wanted to go with him. He told me I couldn't. Said it was too dange... rous. Too dange... rous for a kid. He said" Rick said as emotion began to choke him. "He said he was comin' back for me... but he never did" Rick said as grief over his father took over and Rick lowered his head and put his index finger and thumb up to his eyes to keep from crying.   
  
"Oh Rick" Evelyn said in a sympathetic voice as she unhook her arm from his and laid her hand on his back and began to rub up and down his spine. "I'm so sorry honey."  
  
"I don't understand why he never came back" he said, his fingers still holding back his tears.  
  
Evelyn could hear the anguish in his voice. She did not know what to say because she could not understand either why a father would leave his child. So instead of trying to find something to say, she simply continued to rub his back. They sat there for many moments, not saying anything, but finding peace and contentment just being together.  
  
"I don't wanna do to my kid what my Pa did to me" Rick finally spoke.  
  
"Why would you even think you would?" Evelyn asked, having more confidence in him than he had in himself.  
  
"I dunno. Guess it was somethin' I heard Sister Abby... gail say when I was at the convent. Somethin' 'bout what the father did, the kid will do."  
  
"Rick, I know you would never do that" she said with full assurance.  
  
"Well..." he said. "Why did my Pa do it to me?" he wanted desperately to know.  
  
"I don't know" Evelyn said. "But what I do know" she said as she took his chin and turned his face toward her. "Is that you are a wonderful man. And I love you very much. And I need you more than ever now. I'm afraid too" she said as she looked into his eyes. "I can't change the past. You can't change the past. But we can do something about now. And I know without a doubt that you will make a wonderful father."  
  
Rick looked at Evelyn and wondered why she loved him the way she did. Why she had so much confidence in him. Maybe she was right. Hell, maybe even Jonathan was right. He might do a pretty decent job at this father thing.  
  
"You think so?" Rick smiled as he looked at the woman who loved him for reasons he did not know.  
  
Evelyn shook her head. "I know so."  
  
"I'm drunk Evy" he said suddenly because he was beginning to see two of her.  
  
"So I've heard" Evelyn laughed lightly.  
  
"I think I need to lay down" he informed her.  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"Yeah. My head's 'bout to spin right off my neck."  
  
"We'd better get you to bed then. Think you can stand up?" she asked, having quite a bit of experience helping a drunk man to bed.  
  
"Think so" Rick said as he made an effort to stand.  
  
Evelyn was on her feet before Rick and helped him with the task. She held his arm until he had steadied himself on his feet. Evelyn then stepped up on the porch, still holding his arm, and lead him up to the porch then began walking toward the door.  
  
"Damn" Rick said as he tripped over his own feet. "Haven't been this drunk in awhile" he said as Evelyn took his arm and put it around her shoulders as put her arm around his waist. "Sorry Evy."  
  
"For what?" she asked as she opened the screen door.  
  
"For drinkin' and gettin' drunk as Jon... than."  
  
Evelyn laughed as she guided Rick inside the house and closed the door.  
  
"Don't think I'ma make it up the stairs" Rick said.  
  
"Alright. You can lie on the couch" Evelyn said as she turned toward the sitting room.   
  
Once there, Evelyn led him to the couch and helped him lie down. She then went over and turned the lantern on low so that she could see a little better. When she walked back over to the couch and sat on the edge of the couch next to Rick, she noticed his battered face.   
  
"What happened to you?" she asked as she touched the bruise on his jaw.  
  
Rick, who had his eyes closed in an attempt to keep the room from spinning, winced at her touch. "Jon... than punched me."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"In my nose too" Rick said.  
  
"Why did he do that?" Evelyn said, looking worriedly at her drunk, beaten husband.  
  
"Cause I made you cry."  
  
Evelyn was instantly touched. Jonathan, her shiftless, wayward, unreformed drunk of a brother had punched Rick because he had made her cry. She smiled. She loved her brother. Always had. Always would. And she would not trade him for all of Egypt.  
  
"Oh Rick" Evelyn said, feeling extremely loved at that particular moment. "I'm sorry."  
  
"I deserved it" he said, thinking he deserved it for causing the argument between them and for the redhead. If he were not so drunk he would punch himself.  
  
Yes, she agreed silently, thinking he deserved it for breaking his promise to her that he would not drink again.  
  
"Let me get some ice. It looks like your lip might be swelling" she said then got up and left the room.  
  
Rick lay on the couch feeling relief that things had been worked out between him and Evelyn. And he realized that, though he was still grieved about his father, just talking to Evelyn helped him feel just a little bit better. Maybe she would be the salve that could heal the deep wounds his father had left him with. He smiled as he heard the click of her shoes against the hardwood floor.  
  
Rick remembered how she pampered him and tended his scraps and scratches that he received from their little adventure with Imhotep and his minions. Her hands were so soft on him and he quickly got use to being taken care of. And now, he was about to get more of her tender, loving care.  
  
Evelyn sat back down next to Rick and he enjoyed the feel of her body next to his. Then the warm rag touched his aching face and soothed it. Rick began to drift off when...  
  
"Who's lipstick is this?" 


	7. Truth

A/N  
So sorry for the long delay. Things got busy here and on top of all the busyness, I had to get a new car because mine got flooded! booHoo!! But I am finding that a new car ain't so bad after all... :)  
  
Hope everyone enjoys. And AJ Mackey, Is Evy forgiving? hum... I hope so for poor Rick's sake!  
  
  
  
"Lips... tick?" Rick said groggily, his eyes still closed. "What lips... tick?" he said as laid his arm over her thighs and around her waist and pulled her closer to him.  
  
As she wiped his face, Evelyn noticed the red imprint and frowned slightly. After rubbing the rag over the imprint, a smudge was left on the rag. What woman had been kissing him?  
  
"This lipstick!" Evelyn said as she held the rag up as she frowned down at her drunken husband.  
  
Rick slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus on Evelyn's face. She was a bit blurry and there was two of her. And both of them did not look too happy. In fact, the two faces of Evy looked quite ticked off. They were gorgeous though, when they were ticked off. At the moment, Evelyn was twice as beautiful and Rick could not help but grinned. In the next instance, the wet rag slapped him hard in his face.   
  
"ouch!" Rick said as the cold rag stung his face.  
  
"Let me go!!" Evelyn snapped as she slapped Rick in the face with the rag again.  
  
She had tried to rise from the sofa but could not because he had her securely anchored in place.  
  
"What's da matter Evy?" Rick whined. "Why'd ya hit me for?"  
  
"Whose lipstick" she slapped his face. "Is" slap. "THIS!!" slap. "I don't wear" slap. "RED" slap, slap. "Lipstick!!" she held the rag directly in front of his face.  
  
Red lipstick... Red...... ooooooh hell...  
  
"h o n e y..." Rick said as he tried to come up with an explanation, or more accurately, a lie to tell her.  
  
"Don't 'honey' me" she slapped him again. "YOU... YOU philanderer!"  
  
"Evy... you hurt my feelin's when you call names" he said, trying to stall. "That's not very nice you know."  
  
Evelyn got even more angry at him for trying to correct her when it was him who was drunk and him who had foreign lipstick smeared all over his face.  
  
"OUCH!" Rick yelled.  
  
Evelyn had slapped him yet again with the wet rag. Who was he to tell her she was not being nice when it was him who had obviously been running around with some hussy Jezebel? Had he really been with another, the way he had been with her? Had he touched, caressed, invaded the most intimate places of another woman as he had done to her. Evelyn's face began to heat up as she thought about their most intimate moments. Had he shared that with another?  
  
"Have you been..." Evelyn wavered and her voice shook. "Have you been unfaithful to me?" she said as tears began to well up in her eyes at the thought that Rick had wandered from her.   
  
"No!" he said immediately. "Hell NO! I swear Evy. I ain't TOUCHED another woman since I laid eyes you. I swear! I swear it" he said with such conviction that deep down inside, Evelyn believed him but...  
  
"How do you explain that lipstick on you then!" Evelyn said, her voice steady this time.  
  
Just because she was a woman. Just because she was naïve, did not mean she was not stupid.  
  
"I..." Rick said but could not think of a plausible lie to tell her.  
  
"I KNEW IT!" Evelyn cried, her belief in him wavering.  
  
"evy..." Rick said as he reached up to touch her cheek and assure her that he had been faithful.  
  
With a strength that surprised Rick, Evelyn slapped his arm down and pushed his other arm away from her.   
  
"I NEVER should have married you!" she yelled as she stood up.  
  
"Evy..." Rick reached for and grabbed her skirt as the wet rag was thrown in his face.  
  
Evelyn had to yank twice before she was able to free her skirt from his grip. Then she turned quickly and walked out of the room. As she walked away from him, she heard Rick calling her name then she heard a thump.  
  
"Evy..." he called as lunged forward to grab the back of her skirt.  
  
He could not quite reach the skirt and only succeeded in rolling himself from the sofa to the floor.   
  
"Evy I been fate... ful. I swear it" he bemoaned. "Come back Evy" he pleaded from his prostrate, face down position on the floor. "Let me splain."  
  
Rick heard the angry clicks of her heels on the stairs and knew she was not coming back. Then he heard the bedroom door slam shut and wondered if it was still on its hinges. Rick rolled himself over onto his back and blew out a sigh. He was in big trouble. How in the hell could he explain having lipstick on him? Lipstick that was on hers...   
  
'Evelyn'  
  
'Yes'  
  
'honey'  
  
'Yes'  
  
'I went looking for Jonathan'  
  
'Jonathan was here'  
  
'Yeah, but I didn't know that. I went looking for him in town'  
  
'You took his car. How could he get to town?'  
  
'I don't know but I went into the bar and this woman, TOTAL stranger mind you, came up to me and for no reason kissed me'  
  
'Lair'  
  
That one would not fly.  
  
'Evelyn'  
  
'Yes'  
  
'sweetheart'  
  
'Yes'  
  
'You know I love you'  
  
Silence.  
  
'I ran into an old acquaintance tonight. We hadn't seen each other in years. I knew her WAY before you. Way before you. She kissed me 'hello'. I told her I was happily married to the most beautiful, the sexiest woman on earth. We said good bye. She went her way. I went mine'  
  
'How were you 'acquainted with her?''  
  
'oohhh. Just acquainted. It meant nothing really. I love you, you know. Only you. Since I met you, all other women pale in comparison'  
  
"What's her name?'  
  
'aahhh...'  
  
'Liar'  
  
That would not fly either.  
  
'Evy, honey'  
  
'Yes'  
  
'You aren't gonna believe who I saw tonight'  
  
'Who'  
  
'Sister Abigail'  
  
'Oh really'  
  
'Yeah. I stopped by the convent to see if she was back from America. She was there. She can't wait to meet you. Before I left, she gave me a kiss...'  
  
'And that's where the lipstick came from'  
  
'Exactly'  
  
'I didn't know nuns wore makeup'  
  
'Yeah me either. I was surprised myself to see Sister Abigail wearing lipstick.'  
  
'Red lipstick'  
  
'Yeah... isn't that something. What's the world coming too? A nun wearing red lipstick'  
  
'Liar'  
  
Another lie that would not fly.  
  
'Evelyn'  
  
'Yes'  
  
'You want to know the truth?'  
  
'That would be nice'  
  
'Truth is I love you. Truth is you're the only woman for me. Truth is you're the best thing to ever happen in my life'   
  
'Where did the lipstick come from?'  
  
'Um... I was... um... I was getting to that...'  
  
'Well get to it'  
  
What was he going to do? Tell her the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Hell no! How could he tell Evelyn he had been to a whorehouse looking for a whore? Evelyn may be prim and proper but he had a feeling that she would do what Jonathan failed to do - take his gun, aim and shoot him right in the...   
  
Rick laughed out loud at that mental picture. Geez, he loved that woman. She was more feminine that any other woman he had ever known. But she had a courage that escaped even some men. And he had not doubt that he would lose his manhood if he told Evelyn the entire truth.  
  
But then Rick sobered as much as he could because he knew he had to explain to Evelyn about the lipstick. He was not sure what he would say to her but he had to make her listen and make her understand.   
  
Rick sat up slowly and the room started spinning. He moaned and held his head but he was determined to get up and go to Evelyn. It took him several moments before he got to his feet and when he did the room started spinning faster. Rick bent over and leaned on the arm of the sofa hoping his head would stop its orbiting. After another several moments, he took a deep breath and slowly lifted himself to an erect position. The room and his head were still spinning but it was tolerable. Rick looked down at his four feet and took tiny steps. After what seem to him to be an hour, he made it to the bottom of the stairs.   
  
Rick slowly lifted his head and looked up to the top of the stairs. He groaned as the stairs stretched out a mile before him. Rick knew he would not be able to climb a mile up those stairs. But he had to because Evelyn was up there. Then suddenly the stairs started moving and his head started spinning again. Rick leaned on the banister and went down on one knee. His head settled down a bit and Rick looked up again at the stairs that stretched a mile long.   
  
Maybe he could crawl up the stairs. He could keep is balance better on hands and knees. With his decision made, Rick began, on hands and knees, up the stairs. This journey seemed to take two hours but he did finally make it to the top. And now it was time to make it to their bedroom. Rick stayed on hands and knees and crawled to the bedroom door. He reached up and turned the knob only to find it locked.  
  
"Evy?" he called out.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Evy, open da door" he pleaded as he stood up on his knees. "pleeze. I luv you."   
  
Still no answer.  
  
"evy..." he pleaded again as he leaned his forehead against the door. "Open da door" he said and waited for the door to open.  
  
When it did not, he continued.  
  
"The lips... tick didn't mean anything. Not one damn thing! I was stew... pid!" he declared. "And mad" he said in a softer voice. "I was mad Evy. And hurt" he said with deep feeling. "Hurt cause I thought you wanted to leave me. I didn't know what else to do so I went to get drunk. I know I promised I wouldn't drink anymore but I didn't know where else to go. You were gonna leave me Evy and it hurt bad, real bad. I wanted to hurt you for that" he said honestly. "I wanted to hurt you as bad as you hurt me."  
  
After several moments, Rick continued.  
  
"I called her over to my table" he paused again, finding confession more difficult as he continued. "I called her over" he said as his heart spoke of its own accord, not wanting to lie to the woman he loved. "And... and she sat down. I knew what she was offering... and I took her up on it" he said in a pained voice. "I followed her up to her room" he heard himself say and wondered if he had lost his mind.  
  
"But all I could do..." he said with a heart full of love. "Was think about you. I wanted to hurt you Evy, hurt you bad cause I was hurtin'. You don't know how it felt to hear you say you wanted a divorce. It felt like my guts were being ripped out. I hurt so bad and I wanted you to hurt. But when I looked at her, all I could see was you. I didn't want her. I wanted you. I wanted to hurt you so bad Evy... but I couldn't cause I luv you so much. Nothing happened cause I walked out on her. I went and got some more Vodka and left. I went by the convent but I think everybody was sleep. After I left there I drove home, parked in back and finished gettin' drunk."  
  
Rick paused, hoping Evelyn would say something, anything. When she did not, he spoke again.  
  
"evy? Will you talk to me?" he begged. "pleeze. Talk to me. Say something. Anything. Yell at me if you want. Just talk to me."  
  
Still Rick was met with absolute silence.  
  
"I luv you Evy. More than anything. And I'm sorry " he said. "Pleeze say you forgive me."  
  
Rick waited for minutes upon minutes for Evelyn to say something. But she never did. He eventually turned from the door and sat on the floor with his back leaning against the door. As he sat there, he wondered if he had lost Evelyn. Would she forgive him for what he did?   
  
"I do luv you Evy" he said quietly. "I swear it."  
  
Rick did not know how long it was before he slipped into a drunken sleep. He only hoped that tomorrow would be a better. That Evelyn would forgive him and tell him that she loved him.  
  
Tomorrow had to be a better day. 


	8. The Other Side of the Door

A/N  
AJ Mackey as I read your last review, I could not help but smile and think that you had been peeking over my shoulder. I tell you the truth. You HAD to have been reading my mind! That 'picture clear' image you saw after reading chap 8 is almost exactly what I had in mind. Honestly!! It is and you will see that as you read chap 9. I hope that I don't disappoint you. Oh and by the way, I had planned on taking this story all the way to Alex's birth. I only hope you all will enjoy the journey.  
  
Happy reading!!!!  
  
  
  
As Evelyn stomped up the stairs, she imagined Rick's head nicely perched in the center of each step. She found a small bit of satisfaction as she visualized crushing his head with each step she took. He was sloshed worse than Jonathan and on top of that he had the audacity to come home to her with lipstick on him. Red lipstick!  
  
Not only was Evelyn irate with Rick but she was furious, absolutely furious with the hussy Jezebel that had the temerity to touch what belonged to her! Evelyn's fingers itched to see the floozy so that she could scratch her eyes out.  
  
After slamming the bedroom door and locking it, Evelyn began to pace angrily back and forth from the door to the foot of the bed and back again. For a moment she wondered why she was not sprawled across the bed crying her eyes out. After all, her husband had come home drunk and covered in lipstick. Red lipstick.   
  
'Because he said he had not be unfaithful. And you believe him' a small voice spoke.  
  
At the present though, Evelyn did not want to think about the fact that she believed him. If she did, she would throw down her pride, high tail it down the stairs, tell him how much she loved him, forgive him for having lipstick, red lipstick on him and beg him to forgive her.  
  
She was not, however, in a forgiving mood and she certainly was not about to throw away her pride and beg for HIS forgiveness. Not when he was drunk and covered in red lipstick.  
  
Evelyn's mood was not pretty. In fact it was quite ugly. It was mad, incensed, enraged. She wanted to give him the knee right between his legs, clock him a few good ones and then scratch his eyes out so he would never look at another woman.   
  
Why had he even let that loose woman's lips come within in 5 feet of him? Why? The woman certainly did not overpower him and force him to accept her kiss. Surely he was strong enough to divert her advances. So why didn't the imbecile do just that? Why? That was a simple task that even a man could handle. So why didn't he handle it?   
  
"oooohhh!!!" Evelyn stomped her foot, again wishing that Rick's head was beneath her foot.  
  
Evelyn then reached down and took off one shoe and threw it at Mr. Huggy, who was sitting in the chair, and who, all of a sudden, looked exactly like Rick. Evelyn reached down and took off the other shoe and before she could think about how ridiculous she was being, she threw that one, hitting poor Mr. Huggy square in the face.  
  
"Blasted man!!" Evelyn spit out.  
  
Mr. Huggy was the first gift Rick had given to Evelyn. When they fled Hamanaptra after she woke the mummy and made it safely back to the Fort, Evelyn immediately went to her room. After she bathed and put on fresh clothes, she began pulling out books in hopes of finding an answer to their mummy problem. If only she had not read from the book, everything would be fine. But she did and now the entire world was in danger. And then she thought about poor Mr. Burns and guilt washed over her. She was the reason he was now eyeless. She decided to go and see how he was doing under the circumstances. After returning from her visit with Mr. Burns, her guilt was increased and she absentmindedly picked up one of the books she had gotten out and walked over to the window. What if they were not able to stop the mummy? The whole earth would be destroyed because of her. As her mind thought of the end of the world, she heard a knock and turned. It was him.  
  
Rick had awkwardly presented her with the bear and she gladly took it. Soon after giving it to her, they had their very first fight. He, in his 'I'm in charge. I'm the boss. I'm the BIG man' attitude, informed her that they would be leaving and she informed him that they would be staying. It became obvious that he had disregarded her words when he went searching through the closet and emerged with her suitcase.  
  
Evelyn became incensed at his high-handedness and felt as if she were being treated like a child. She tossed the bear down on the table and told him he could take his old silly bear back. Again he disregarded her words and went back inside the closet and came out with his arms full of her clothes. She tried to reason with him but he would not listen and their disagreement escalated. When he finally realized she was not going anywhere until they found a way to kill the mummy, he reluctantly spit out a 'Fine!' before taking the bear and storming out of the room. Evelyn thought he was a cad for actually taking the bear. After all, she did not mean it when she told him he took take the bear back.  
  
Rick did, however, to her immense pleasure, give the bear back. The night she said 'yes' to his marriage proposal, Rick had come back and knocked on her door after they said goodnight. He teasingly told her that he wanted to be sure she had said 'yes' then presented her with the bear. Evelyn's smile was brighter than when he had given it to her the first time and she fell in love with the stuffed animal then and there. So why was she now abusing him so?  
  
"Stop looking at me like that!" Evelyn snapped.   
  
Mr. Huggy was looking up at Evelyn with his beady little eyes. Not only did Evelyn feel silly for attacking a stuffed animal but now she began to feel a tremendous amount guilt. Mr. Huggy was, after all, the innocent in this entire mess.  
  
"It's not you Mr. Huggy. It's that… that blasted husband of mine!" she said as she walked over to the chair and picked Mr. Huggy up. "He let some trollop kiss him!" she said as she lovingly squeezed Mr. Huggy. "Can you believe that?!"  
  
She explained her ire to Mr. Huggy, who listened intently, as she continued her pacing. When she ran out of words to say, she simply paced and held Mr. Huggy close. Evelyn was pacing toward the door and stopped when she heard the doorknob turn.   
  
"Evy?"  
  
Evy? The audacity of that man! Did he really think that trying to woo her with that pitiful sounding voice would make her heart melt?  
  
"Evy, open da door pleeze."   
  
Surely he did not think he was getting into THIS bedroom! Into THIS bed! With her!  
  
"I luv you…"  
  
Instantly, her eyes began to water. Damn her melting heart!  
  
"evy… Open da door."   
  
A tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away, angry with herself for wanting to open the door simply because he said 'I luv you'. Against her better judgment, she took one step, then another until she reached the door. Evelyn reached up and laid her hand on the door, her heart wanting to open it but her head deciding against it.  
  
"The lips…tick…" Evelyn heard him say and slowly fell down to her knees.   
  
Evelyn knew he was about to tell her where the lipstick had come from and she did not think she was really ready to hear the truth. He said he had been faithful. But what if he lied? Could she handle hearing him say he had been untrue to her?  
  
"Didn't mean anything. Not one damn thing! I was stew… pid! And mad. I was mad Evy. And hurt."  
  
Evelyn's tears began to silently cascade down her face as she heard the pain and regret in his voice. Her heart began to sink as she prepared herself for the cataclysm his words were about to bring.   
  
"Hurt cause I thought you wanted to leave me. I didn't know what else to do so I went to get drunk. I know I promised I wouldn't drink anymore but I didn't know where else to go. You were gonna leave me Evy and it hurt bad, real bad. I wanted to hurt you for that. I wanted to hurt you as bad as you hurt me."  
  
Evelyn laid her forehead against the door and a sick feeling washed over her as she waited for the stone pillar to fall and crush her heart. If only she had stopped him from leaving after she said she wanted a divorce. If only she had not been so hasty in thinking a divorce could solve their problem. If only they had discussed children before they got married. If only they had not fallen in love. If only they had never met. Then her world would not be one confession away from shattering. Evelyn's heart pounded loudly in her ears and she waited with baited breath for Rick to continue.  
  
"I called her over to my table… … … …"  
  
Evelyn's breath caught in her throat and she bit her bottom lip to hold back the anguished cry that threatened to escape.  
  
"I called her over and… and she sat down. I knew what she was offering… and I took her up on it."  
  
Evelyn's breathing became labored and she held her churning stomach as her world began to crumble piece by agonizing piece.  
  
"I followed her up to her room…"  
  
Her heart pounded even louder and Evelyn felt as if she were suffocating. Her ears began to burn. 'I followed her up to her room'. Evelyn closed her eyes tight as she tried to shut his words. 'I followed her up to her room'. She did not want to hear this. 'I followed her up to her room'. This was far worse than her worse nightmare. 'I followed her up to her room'.   
  
Evelyn shook her head in denial. This could not be happening. She could not be sitting there listening to her husband admit that he had been unfaithful to her. She couldn't, she just couldn't listen to any more.  
  
But she had too. Evelyn had to know what happened between Rick and this other woman. She had to know the truth regardless of the cost. The cost was great, more that she could ever bear but nevertheless, Evelyn had to know. She had to know the truth.  
  
"But all I could do… was think about you."  
  
Evelyn could not hear those words because 'I followed her up to her room' loudly replayed over and over in her mind as a flood of tears pushed pass her closed eyelids.  
  
"I wanted to hurt you Evy, hurt you bad cause I was hurtin'. You don't know how it felt to hear you say you wanted a divorce. It felt like my guts were being ripped out."  
  
Evelyn felt like her heart was being ripped out.  
  
"I hurt so bad."  
  
Evelyn hurt so bad too.  
  
"And I wanted you to hurt."  
  
Rick had accomplished his goal. More than he would ever know.  
  
"But when I looked at her, all I could see was you. I didn't want her. I wanted you. I wanted to hurt you so bad Evy… but I couldn't cause I luv you so much. Nothing happened cause I walked out on her. I went and got some more Vodka and left. I went by the convent but I think everybody was sleep. After I left there I drove home, parked in back and finished gettin' drunk."  
  
Evelyn's breathing came a little easier because 'I wanted you… I luv you' had broken through 'I followed her up to her room' and had found its way to her ears and then to her heart. The chokehold she felt around her neck began to loosen. Her world was not as dim as it was a moment ago.  
  
Rick had not been untrue. Evelyn's heart believed it with all its being.  
  
He had gone looking for another woman. Her head reasoned with all its logic.  
  
He only did it because he was hurting. And she was the cause of his hurt.  
  
But she would never hurt him simply because he had hurt her. She loved him too much.  
  
And that was why she would forgive him.  
  
But how could she forgive him when he set out to hurt her?  
  
But he remained faithful, he remained true to his vows. Because he loved her.   
  
But he WANTED to hurt her.  
  
But he didn't. He couldn't. Because he loved her.  
  
But that could not excuse his intent. His intent to hurt her.  
  
"evy? Will you talk to me? Pleeze. Talk to me. Say something. Anything. Yell at me if you want. Just talk to me."  
  
Evelyn could not talk to Rick. Not now. She could not or would not let go of the nagging fact that he had gone to another woman for the expressed purpose of hurting her. How could he do such a horrible thing if he loved her?  
  
"I luv you Evy. More than anything. And I'm sorry" he said. "Pleeze say you forgive me."  
  
Evelyn sat on the floor and leaned against the door. She did not know if she could forgive him. What would he do the next time they had a fight? Would he go seeking another woman just to get back at her? How could she trust him with her heart, knowing he was capable of intentionally hurting her? What would she do now? Where would they go from here? Would there be a future with Rick?   
  
Evelyn did not know the answer to any of the questions that now plagued her.  
  
"I do luv you Evy" she heard him say. "I swear it."  
  
And she loved him too. She loved him with all her heart. But would that be enough to mend the sore rift between them?  
  
Yet another question Evelyn did not know the answer too. 


	9. Cold Shoulder

A/N:  
Sorry for the loooooong delay. Sometimes writer's block and life gets in the way. Marcher and Marxbros, I hope you 2 don't want to pull Evelyn's hair out by the end of this chapter. Please remember she's pregnant and those hormones are a little out of control. But know that she does love our hero and when it's all over, she'll make it all up to him and as she's making it up to him, he'll know that he'll go through hell itself to have her.  
  
Hope you all enjoy...  
  
  
  
When Evelyn woke the next morning, her pillow was a bit hard and her bottom felt a bit sore. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was sitting on the floor with her head leaning against the door. She had fallen asleep and never got up to go to bed. Her stomach began it usual routine of morning nausea and Evelyn moaned as she slowly made her way to her feet.  
  
When she opened the bedroom door, she found her husband stretched out on the floor in front of the door. He was on his back with his arms spread wide. And he was snoring. Evelyn thought about emptying the contents of her stomach on his head but the mess she would have to clean up quickly changed her mind. So instead, she stepped over him and hurried to the bathroom.   
  
When Evelyn was done with her new morning ritual and had walked back to the bedroom, Rick was still sprawled out in front of door, still snoring. He had not budged one inch. Evelyn wondered if, and actually hoped, Rick would suffer a hangover. It would serve him right, she thought as she stepped back over him and went inside the bedroom. After grabbing her bathrobe, Evelyn turned back and walked outside the bedroom, stepped over her still sleeping, still snoring husband and went to take a nice, long hot bath.  
  
After preparing her bath, Evelyn stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the heated water with a sigh. After easing down into the steaming, jasmine scented water, Evelyn rested her head against the back of the tub and closed her eyes. The water felt good to her sore muscles and she reveled in the soothing it brought her. Then her mind settled on the reason for her sore muscles - Rick.  
  
The dawning of day brought about a new attitude in Evelyn. Last night she had gone from being angry with Rick to crying her eyes out because he had sought out another woman. She had cried until there were no more tears to shed. And then she cried some more until she fell into a fitful sleep. But now, now she was back to being angry, being furious because that was the only way she would keep from crying. It was the only way she knew to protect her fragile, hurting heart. Rick would rue the day he decided to go running after some Jezebel.   
  
Evelyn felt the tears well up and she squeezed her eyes tighter. She would not cry over that blasted man today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow she would cry but not today. So in order to escape being on the verge of tears, Evelyn settled her mind on other things and pushed Rick as far out of her mind as she could.   
  
After thinking about her new job as head curator of the Cairo Museum and all the new and exciting responsibilities she now had, Evelyn's mind drifted to the baby she was carrying and a smile spread across her face. A baby. She was having a baby. It was still a bit hard for her to believe but the incessant morning nausea was a friendly reminder of the undeniable truth. She was going to have a baby. A baby. A teeny, tiny human being was growing inside of her. Evelyn wondered if it was a boy or girl.  
  
If it were a boy, would he have brown hair touched with streaks of gold? Would he have a pair of blue eyes that would make the fairer sex swoon? Would he have a love for Egypt and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge or a love for guns and a sure-fire aim? Or would he inherit Jonathan's love for gold? He certainly would not inherit Jonathan's love for loose women and strong drink. She would make certain of that.  
  
If it were a girl, would she have long black curly hair or would it be straight and golden brown like her father's? Would she inherit the eyes of her mother or the eyes of her father? Would she be a bookworm or would she be a little tomboy with Jonathan as her playmate? Would she love Egypt and all its rich history? Would she be as clumsy as her mother? Evelyn hoped not. Would she fall head over heals in love with a rogue of a man? Evelyn prayed not.  
  
Thoughts of her baby were very soothing and before she knew it, Evelyn had fallen asleep. She woke an hour later and after quickly washing her hair and body in the now cold water, she got out of the tub, dried off, wrapped a towel around her head and put on her bathrobe. When she walked back to the bedroom, Rick was still sleeping. Evelyn stepped over him for the fourth time and slammed the door.  
  
Rick jumped at the loud sound and slowly opened his eyes. The bright daylight that fluttered in the hallway was too strong for his sleepy, bloodshot eyes and he put his hand over them. As he lay there, the events of the last few days slowly filtered back into his memory.  
  
Evelyn was expecting a kid.  
  
He was not exactly thrilled about the news.  
  
Evelyn got mad at him.  
  
He got mad at her, downed a few drinks, remembered his father's abandonment and faced the fact that he was scared. Scared of having a kid.  
  
Evelyn said she wanted a divorce and she hurt him bad.  
  
He went looking for female company to pay Evelyn back for hurting him. But in the end, he could not do it. He walked up to the house drunk and determined not to let Evelyn go.  
  
Evelyn got made at him because of the red lipstick.  
  
He confessed to what he had done, which, in his opinion, was really nothing at all.  
  
And now he was lying in front of his bedroom door with the worse hangover he had ever had, wondering if his wife would talk to him today. Wondering if she would ever forgive him.   
  
Rick did not know how many minutes had passed when he heard the doorknob turn and bedroom door open. He lifted his hand from his eyes and turned his head toward the door.   
  
"Evy?" he said in a groggy voice.  
  
Evelyn did not even look down at him but again stepped over him without a word.  
  
"Evy?" Rick called after her and grabbed the hem of her skirt.  
  
Evelyn snatched her skirt from his grip and kept walking.  
  
"Evy?" Rick moaned in a pitiful voice as he heard the angry clicks of her heels walk away from him.  
  
Rick guessed that Evelyn had not yet forgiven him. But, damn it all, he could be stubborn too. She would talk him come hell or high water. And she would forgive him, even if it killed her.  
  
"Evelyn!" he yelled, trying to use force to intimidate her.  
  
The second he yelled he regretted it. First, he knew it was a waste of time because Evelyn was not easily intimidated. And that was one of the reasons he loved her so much. And second, the only thing he succeeded in doing was causing his already pounding head to pound even harder.  
  
"Damn it!" he hissed through gritted teeth as he put his fingertips up to his temples and massaged his head.  
  
Rick lay there until the pounding subsided a bit and then he tried to sit up. His head began to spin worse than it had last night and his stomach began to heave. Rick rolled over on his stomach and pushed himself up on his hands and knees. It seemed like forever before he was able to stand but when he did he began to stagger his way to the bathroom. He eventually made it and found the commode just before his stomach began emptying itself.   
  
After Rick was sure there was nothing left for him to puke up, he pushed himself away from the toilet and sat as he caught his breath. A terrible hangover and testy helpmate. What a way to start the day.  
  
When Rick was able, he stood up on shaky legs and bent over the sink. After washing his mouth out and splashing his face, he stood up straight and despite his pounding head and still queasy stomach, he turned and walked out of the bathroom and headed downstairs.  
  
Rick found Evelyn in the kitchen making herself a cup of cocoa and a slice of toast. He stood in the doorway watching her move around the kitchen. She was dressed for the day and her hair was down. It was still wet from washing. Rick loved it when she wore her hair loose and he loved to see it wet. Something about her wet hair got his juices flowing.  
  
Evelyn knew he was there watching her. She could feel his eyes on her and for a moment she wanted to run to him. But then she remembered the red lipstick. She remembered all the tears she cried. She remembered that he would rue the day he went traipsing after some trollop. So instead of running into his arms, she ignored him.  
  
"Evelyn" he said in a soft voice, hoping to she would speak to him.  
  
'Blast him and that voice of his' Evelyn thought. Hearing that voice saying her name so sweetly, so lovingly, tempted her to relent. But her resolve proved a bit stronger than the temptation and Evelyn went about her business as if she had not heard him.   
  
Rick watched as she poured hot water into her mug and then watched as she retrieved her toast from the toaster oven. Then she went to the table, sat down, picked up the book that was sitting on the table and began to eat. Rick took that opportunity to sit himself because not only was his head still pounding but it was beginning to spin again.   
  
After pulling out his chair and sitting down, Rick watched Evelyn as she read the book. He thought she was exceptionally adorable at that moment. Wet hair hanging down her shoulders and spectacles perched on the tip of her nose. Rick wanted to snatch the book out of her hands, lay her across the table, toss the spectacles aside and have her for lunch. But that fantasy would have to wait under later he thought with a grin. Right now, he had to get her to talk to him.  
  
"Evelyn..." Rick said. "will you say something?"  
  
In response, Evelyn picked up her toast and bit into it, not even looking up from her reading. Rick sighed and as the cinnamon flavor of Evelyn's toast  
began to drift into his nostrils, he held his stomach, hoping he would not start heaving again.  
  
"Look Evelyn..." Rick raised his voice slightly and immediately regretted it when his head rebelled against the loud noise. "I said..." he continued in an almost whisper. "I said I was sorry for what I did" he said and waited for a response from her.  
  
This time Evelyn picked up her mug, took a sip of her cocoa, set the mug down and continued reading her book, continued ignoring her husband.  
  
"Come on Evy" Rick pleaded. "Say something. Anything."  
  
"Top of the morning all!" Jonathan said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning Jonathan" Evelyn said as she looked up from her book at her brother.  
  
"Could you keep it down Jonathan" Rick said in a curt voice as he winced at the loud greeting.  
  
"Sorry old chap" Jonathan said as he looked at Rick and saw his bloodshot eyes, tousled hair and wrinkled clothes. "Didn't realize a hard-liner like you couldn't hold his liqueur. Suffering the dreaded hangover huh?" he asked as he walked to the icebox and took out 2 eggs. "Why not have Evy whip you up an old family remedy? She's done it for me a million times" he said as he stood at the counter next to the icebox and took out a bowl to crack his eggs into.  
  
At that moment, Evelyn stood up, took her mug, toast and book and walked out of the kitchen. Rick's pitiful eyes followed her as she disappeared out of his sight.  
  
"I tell ya O'Connell" Jonathan said as he cracked one egg. "It's a nasty bugger of a drink but it'll do the trick and you'll feel like your old self in no time" he said as he turned to face Rick and Evelyn. "Where'd Evy go?" he asked as he followed Rick's gaze toward the kitchen door.  
  
Rick wanted to go after her but he was feeling too sick to move. He laid his forehead on the table wondering in his pounding mind if Evelyn would ever forgive him for the minor infraction he committed.  
  
"Where'd Evy go?" Jonathan asked again as he looked at the top of his brother-in-law's head.  
  
"How the hell do I know?" Rick mumbled.  
  
"Ah. I see" Jonathan laughed. "That O'Connell charm didn't work on old mum?"  
  
"Shut up Jonathan" Rick said in a weary voice.  
  
"Don't worry my good son" Jonathan said cheerfully. "I'm sure old mum will come around. She can't stay mad at you forever."  
  
Rick was not so sure that she couldn't but he knew he was in no condition to do battle with her. He would have to recover from his hangover first. Then and only then would he have a chance of winning this fight.  
  
"Jonathan" he mumbled. "Can you whip up that remedy?"  
  
"You know, I'm not quite sure what Evy puts in that god awful drink. Let me go ask" he said.   
  
After a few minutes, Rick heard Jonathan come back into the kitchen.   
  
"What in bloody hell did you do to her? She won't tell me what she puts in the drink."  
  
"You've had it a million times. Don't you know what she puts in it?!"  
  
"Well... let me think" he said as he tried to recall the taste of the drink. "I know she uses raw egg. Yeah, she uses 2 raw eggs. And then there's tabasco sauce, I think."  
  
"Damn it Jonathan don't you know?!" Rick said, his head still down on the table, still pounding, still spinning.  
  
"Tabasco sauce, I'm sure. And there's one more thing" he paused. "Vinegar! That's it vinegar. Two eggs, raw, tabasco sauce and vinegar."  
  
Rick's stomach churned and he gagged as he imagined the taste. But if it would cure him of his hangover, he would take his medicine like a man. Rick lifted his head and sat up to see Jonathan staring at him with a proud grin on his face.  
  
"Do you mind getting the drink?"  
  
"Oh yeah. Sure" Jonathan said as he quickly went to prepared the drink.  
  
After the concoction was made, Jonathan handed Rick the drink and he turned the glass up until it was emptied. Rick's face contorted at the awful taste of the drink and he felt as if he was going to puke it back up.  
  
"You may want to hurry up to the commode" Jonathan informed him. "It cleans you out pretty good."  
  
Rick got up from the table holding his stomach. In a bent over posture, Rick rushed out of the kitchen and up to the bathroom. After he was done getting cleaned out, Rick stripped naked and wearily stepped into the tub and bathed. When he finished, he walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Once inside the bedroom, he dried off, put on a pair of boxers and fell across the bed. He was asleep almost immediately.  
  
Two hours later, Rick woke and he did feel like his old self again. He would have to thank Jonathan for that old family remedy. After getting up from the bed and dressing, Rick went downstairs and found Jonathan waiting for him.  
  
"Finally up old chap?" Jonathan looked up from the paper he was reading when Rick walked into the sitting room.  
  
"Yeah" Rick said as he ran his hand through his hair.   
  
"Ready to go into town?" Jonathan asked.  
  
Rick has asked Jonathan to take him into town today because Rick's new car was being shipped in.  
  
"Yeah" Rick said.  
  
Jonathan noticed Rick's sullen mood and tried to cheer him up.  
  
"Don't worry O'Connell" he said as he stood up. "Evy doesn't hold a grudge that long. Just promise her you'll never drink again and she'll forgive you just like that" he said and snapped his fingers.  
  
"She's not mad because I was drunk" Rick informed him as they turned to walk out of the front door.  
  
"You did explained to her about being scared..." he said and Rick looked at him with a frown. "Look O"Connell" he continued. "I don't blame ya. Good God, if I got that kind of news I'd be scared witless."  
  
"I'm not scared" Rick emphasized. "Just unsure."  
  
"OK" Jonathan said, knowing the truth. "Well you explained to her why you're 'unsure'?"  
  
"Yeah, we talked about it."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And what?"  
  
"Why's she still mad?"  
  
Rick paused a moment and debated about telling Jonathan everything. Jonathan could be a buffoon most of the time. Jonathan was a buffoon most of the time. But... he had proven his love for and loyalty to his sister. And considering that, Rick could hardly hold his buffoonery against him. And besides that, Rick knew that the loyalty he had for his sister now extended to him and Jonathan was indeed his friend. His good friend. And most of all, they were family. And that was something Rick had not had since he was 4 years old.  
  
"She found lipstick on me last night" Rick said when they were both in Jonathan's car.  
  
"O'Connell..." Jonathan said in a warning voice.  
  
"Let me explain" Rick interrupted.  
  
Rick left out no detail. He told Jonathan about going to the whorehouse, looking for a whore. He described the redhead in detail and explained that, before Evelyn, the redhead was perfectly suited to his taste. Rick admitted that he wanted to make the redhead earn every pound she would get from him. And then he told Jonathan how he walked away from the tempting minx.  
  
"You left her standing there?" Jonathan asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Jonathan whistled and shook his head. He was glad O'Connell walked away. After all the man was married to his sister. But, good golly, Jonathan was a man. A man who thought himself to be a connoisseur of beautiful women. And the redhead sounded beautiful. He certainly would not have walked away. That was one reason he was still single. He loved women and if he married he would have to give them up.   
  
Jonathan gained a new respect for Rick. Jonathan knew he was an oddity because most men, and even the ones he hell raised with, thought nothing of dilly dally around on wives with ladies of the night. But Jonathan, for reasons he did not know, found the idea of cheating on your wife very unappealing.   
  
"Well, did she say she still wanted a divorce?" Jonathan asked, trying to think of a way to help his sister and O'Connell get back to their disgusting shows of affection.  
  
"She hasn't said anything to me."  
  
"Oh" Jonathan said.  
  
"I'm gonna go by the museum after I pick up the car" Rick said.  
  
"That might not be a good idea" Jonathan offered. "When Evy's mad she can be a hellcat, an absolute shrew. As I'm sure you're about to find out considering what you did."  
  
"Thanks a lot Jonathan" Rick said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry old chap. But look on the bright side. She loves you and she can't stay mad forever."  
  
"I hope you're right" Rick said.  
  
"Of course I'm right!" Jonathan said. "I know my sister. Know her quite well. And you'd better stay away from her for a while. Give her some space and she'll come around. You'll see."  
  
"For how long?" Rick asked.  
  
"A day or two. After that, I'm sure that charm of yours will be able to wear her down."  
  
After Jonathan dropped Rick off and he had his new car, he sat in front of the Cairo Museum. 'A day or two' Jonathan had said. Rick did not want to wait a day or two. He wanted his wife back. And he wanted her back now. Then he remembered what his wife said once. 'Patience is a virtue'. Right now, maybe it was. He finally relented, followed Jonathan's advice and pulled off in his brand new car.  
  
*********************  
  
A hellcat and absolute shrew did not begin to describe Evelyn. That evening Jonathan had gone to pick her up from the Museum. When she got home, Evelyn walked past a waiting, remorseful Rick as if he were not even there. He spoke to her and she ignored him. Instead she had asked Jonathan if he had eaten. 'Give her time old chap' Jonathan whispered to Rick before telling Evelyn that he would be picking up something in town. Evelyn went into the kitchen and prepared herself a light meal, ate and went upstairs.  
  
When they had gotten married, Evelyn had purchased cookbooks and was determined to learn how to cook for her new husband. And when she was determined, Evelyn was a quick study and within no time, she was making meals that were not exactly gourmet but did satisfy the hunger without offending the taste buds or the stomach.   
  
Even though he was still more soldier than civilian and could rustle up something edible, Rick enjoyed having those less than gourmet meals cooked by his wife. She made him feel loved when she did that. But this night, there was no love in sight and he was left to his own devices.  
  
When Rick went up to bed that night, he found the bedroom door locked and he decided not to even try to get Evelyn to open it. Instead he went back downstairs and settled on the couch.  
  
For the next week, Rick got the silence treatment from Evelyn. She did not look at him, talk to him or acknowledge him in any way even though he did everything he knew to do to tell her he loved her.  
  
He would go to her when he heard her retching in the bathroom and rub her back until she finished. Afterward, he would try and help her wipe her face but she would grab another washcloth, wipe her own face and leave him standing there. He would go downstairs and boil water and put cinnamon bread in the toaster oven. By the time Evelyn got the kitchen, her breakfast would be waiting for her. Evelyn, however, would act as if it were not there and go about preparing her own cocoa and cinnamon toast and leave what Rick prepared on the table.   
  
He would offer to drive her to the museum. She would ask Jonathan if he could do it and if he were still sleeping, she would call a taxi. He, instead of Jonathan, would come to pick her up from the museum. She would walk back inside and call Jonathan. If Jonathan refused to come and pick her up, she would call a taxi, wait for it and when it came, walk past Rick's brand new car to the taxi. He brought her flowers. She would throw them in the wastebasket.  
  
He would tell her he was sorry and that he loved her. She would turn her back on him and walk out of the room.   
  
"I did know she could hold a grudge this long" Jonathan commented when, at the end of the week, he witnessed Evelyn walking out on Rick's profession of love.  
  
Both Rick and Evelyn were miserable. Rick was at his wits ends about what to do to get Evelyn to talk to him. Evelyn, though she put on a good front during the day, was going to bed each night with tears in her eyes. 


	10. Lonely

It had been a week and two days and Evelyn still had not spoken a word to Rick. And for the last two days, he had not spoken a word to her. In the wee hours of the night, when Evelyn was completely honest with herself, she admitted that she was hurt that Rick had stopped trying to talk to her, trying to get her attention, trying to get her forgiveness. She cried even harder as she wondered if she was being too stubborn, too unforgiving. She wondered if she had pushed him too far away, pushed him to the point of no return. Would he ever come back? Would he ever come back to her? Would they ever return to the love they shared? Would things ever be the same between them? Or would they continue as silent strangers living under the same roof? Had they, had she ruined it all?  
  
The brooding silence was deafening and even impish Jonathan was affected by frosty chill that permeated throughout the house. Even a healthy sip, or in his case a healthy gulp, could not warm things up. Jonathan tried talking to his sister but the moment he mentioned Rick, she froze him from head to toe with her icy stare and that was all it took for Jonathan to shut him mouth on that particular matter. He then tried encouraging Rick not to give up on his sister. But to his dismay, Rick threw up his hands in frustration and defeat.  
  
"What the hell else can I do Jonathan?" Rick said as he looked under the hood of his new car. "I told her I love her. I tried to explain to her about what happened, which was absolutely NOTHING I might add! She won't listen and I can't make her."  
  
"Sure you can" Jonathan said, trying to sound confident in his statement.   
  
"The hell I can" he bit out and Jonathan could hear the frustration oozing from his lips. "I'm fed up with her!" he yelled, the tension of the last week exploding in a frustrated protest. "Fed up with it all!"  
  
"I know Evy can be a handful sometimes" Jonathan offered, hoping Rick really did not mean what he had just said. "Sometimes you just have to be firm with her and put your foot down" he said, knowing how ridiculous he sounded. "And make her listen" he finished.  
  
Rick raised up from under the hood of the car and gave Jonathan an incredulous look.  
  
"Have YOU ever MADE your sister listen?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"I thought so" he said before ducking his head back under the hood.  
  
"Yes... well... I've never had the need to do it. But if I did, you can bet I'd do it."  
  
"Yeah. Right" Rick said from under the hood.  
  
"Listen O'Connell" Jonathan asserted himself. "I know you love my sister. And I know she loves you. I can't understand why you two are being so stubborn."  
  
"I'm not the one being stubborn!" Rick snapped as he came from under the hood with a menacing frown, causing Jonathan to take a step back. "In case you haven't noticed. SHE's" he said and pointed toward the house. "The one who's locking ME" he pointed to himself. "Out of the bedroom. SHE's the one not talking to ME..."  
  
"Well now..." Jonathan interrupted tentatively. "You haven't said anything to her for what... the last 2 days."  
  
"Why should I?! I've been talking to her for the last week. Begging her to talk to me so we can work things out. But I'm wasting my breath and to hell with it! If that's the way she wants it, then that's the way she's gonna get it" he said before going back under the hood.  
  
"O'Connell" Jonathan said in a worried voice. "You don't mean that."  
  
"The hell I don't" Rick spit out, his anger increasing moment by moment.   
  
The frustration and the fear were growing with each passing day and Rick was beginning to feel helpless. A feeling that he hated and was not accustomed to dealing with. He was also beginning to think that what he had done, or almost done, had damaged his marriage beyond repair. And that was a prospect he did not want to face.  
  
Jonathan understood Rick's feeling of being at the end of his rope. And he really did not blame Rick, not totally. Evelyn, he admitted, did have her part in all of this and he could only hope that his sister would come to her senses before it was too late.  
  
*************************   
  
Evelyn had been standing by the window watching Rick. As she observed him inspecting the different parts under the hood of his new car, Evelyn thought of how much she loved him. Yes, she admitted to herself, she did still love him. She would love him past her dying day, perhaps for eternity. But she did not know how to forgive him for what he had done. She was not ready to hear him out as he had begged her to do. She was just not ready. Then Evelyn heard his angry shout.  
  
'I'm fed up with her!'   
  
His words cut and they pierced her vulnerable heart. It did not matter to Evelyn that she had been a virtual harridan for the past week. It did not matter that she had spurned his every attempt to apologize and make things right between them. Nothing mattered but the piercing of her torn heart.  
  
Evelyn turned away from the window and ran upstairs. When she got to her room, she locked the door, threw herself on the bed and cried uncontrollably. He was fed up with her. Did he not love her anymore? Maybe she had pushed him too far. Too far for him to come back. Maybe everything was ruined, maybe they would never be reconciled. Maybe now it was him who wanted the divorce. Evelyn's tears soaked her pillow as thoughts of despair and hopelessness tormented her heart and soul.  
  
"Evy?" Jonathan's knock on the door invaded Evelyn's world of gloom. "Evy are you alright?" Jonathan asked. "Evy?" he called when she did not answer him right away.   
  
"Yes?" she answered in a weak voice only after attempting to pull herself together.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"You don't sound alright" Jonathan said. "I hear you crying."  
  
"I'm fine Jonathan. Really" she said in a none too convincing voice as tears streamed down her face.  
  
"Evy..."  
  
"Jonathan please..." Evelyn cried. "I... I just need to be alone right now."  
  
"Evy if you're this upset..."  
  
"Jonathan please" she begged. "Please, I just need to be left alone."  
  
Jonathan stood at the door for several moments not knowing if he should leave her alone or insist that she let him in. He loved his sister dearly and wanted badly to help her but did now know how.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked, his worry evident in his voice.  
  
"Yes" she was barely audible.  
  
"Well..." he said hesitantly after several moment. "I'll be here when you need me. OK?"  
  
"Thank you Jonathan" Evelyn said with a sniff.  
  
If her husband no longer loved her at least her brother did.  
  
*********************  
  
Evelyn was forced to get up from the bed when her stomach began growling. She knew she had to eat, if not for herself, then for the baby.  
  
"Eat and get plenty of rest" the doctor told her.  
  
So, with a heavy heart, Evelyn pulled herself up in the bed and swung her legs over the side. She sat on the bed looking at her tear stained face. She had cried more in the last 3 months than she had in her entire life. It took the intense hunger pains of her stomach for Evelyn to stop staring at her crying self in the mirror and get up and go and wash her face.  
  
When she entered the kitchen, Evelyn had a fresh face in spite of her puffy eyes and heavy heart. As she walked toward the icebox, she heard shots in the back yard and knew Rick was out there having target practice. Not too long ago, two weeks and 4 days ago to be exact, she was out there with him and he was teaching her how to aim and shoot.   
  
"Keep it tight against your shoulder. Squeeze the trigger. Don't pull it" he instructed her as she held the shotgun.  
  
Tears began to well up in her eyes and Evelyn wished with all her heart that she were out there with him now. It was lonely in the house. She was lonely. Lonely without him...  
  
When Rick stopped his shooting to reload his gun, he saw that the kitchen light was on and he knew she was in there. A week and 4 days ago, she was out there with him, learning how to aim and shoot.   
  
"Tight against the shoulder. Squeeze. Don't pull" she said as she carried out his instructions.  
  
He wished she were out there with him now. It was lonely out there. He was lonely. Lonely without her...  
  
*********************  
  
It was nearly nine o'clock when Rick stopped his target practice and went inside the house. He stopped in the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. After eating it, Rick headed upstairs to bathe. As he walked by the closed bedroom door, Rick wanted to kick it in and make Evelyn listen, as Jonathan had suggested. He thought seriously about it for a moment. He decided that if she did not come around soon, he would do just that because, though he was fed up with the way she was acting, he still loved her more than anything. That would never change, no matter what she did. But he was still fed up. Fed up with sleeping on the couch. Fed up with the rift between them. Fed up with not hearing her say 'I love you'. Fed up with being in the same house with her but being miles away from her.  
  
His love for her would never change but the way things were going between them had to change. And they would change, he determined as he reached the bathroom door. Upon opening it, Rick was met with a very pleasant surprise. 


	11. No Cigar

A/N:  
Thanks everyone for putting up with Evy and me. We're just going thru changes here but remember that we do love our hero! :) And remember readers, I do love you too so don't be too mad at me when I twist the knife a bit.  
  
Marcher & AJ Mackey, I can tell you that she's naked but about those senses... not just yet. BUT... please don't stone me lol. She's close to finding them or at least some of them.  
  
Marxbros, I would be lying if I said 'Evy isn't being selfish!' She's that and more but she will start to come around (thanks in part to Jonathan).  
  
Buffelyn, you have figured me out! I hate that you didn't get your hopes up but you were right. Forgive me for being such a tease (it's such fun though!) Rick and Evy haven't made it to the finish line yet, but you know they will one of these days.   
  
Hope everyone enjoys...  
  
  
There Evelyn stood startled, looking into his blue eyes. And there Rick stood transfixed, looking into her hazel eyes.  
  
She was standing in the tub. Stark naked. Hair dripping wet. Stark naked. Body covered with water droplets. Stark naked. Body glistening like a rare gem. Stark naked.  
  
Rick could not help but smile as the sight before him ignited a pleasant ache in his groin. His eyes slowly trailed down from her eyes to her pink lips and then down the column of her throat. His gaze swept over her two luscious mounds of delicate flesh to the rosy peeks of her nipples. He began to salivate as he stared at the hardening tips. After his gaze lingered over one breast and then the other for enticing moments, his eyes continued their downward descent to her smooth, white abdomen then to her navel. Rick's grin fixed on his face as he remembered the last time they had made love. After nibbling on her stomach, he had used his tongue to invade the crevice of her navel and was happy to know that he had found yet another one of his wife's pleasure spots.   
  
Then his eyes went lower and Rick thought fleetingly of the child that was in her womb. At that moment, he found it hard to believe that a kid, his kid was in there because Evelyn did not look any different, any bigger. Then his gaze landed on the triangle that sheltered the essence of her womaness and Rick was ready to split his pants. It had been close to two weeks since they had made love and his body was now acutely aware of its abstinence.  
  
Evelyn had jumped when the door opened. She knew it was not Jonathan because he had his own bath down by his room. So that meant that the intruder was Rick. Even though she had been married for almost three months now, she was still a bit bashful about standing in front of him completely naked. Her first instinct was to hop out of the tub, grab her towel and cover herself. But when she saw the look in his eyes, a warm feeling spread over her and she was paralyzed where she stood. She watched his expression as his eyes slowly trailed from hers down her body. Goose bumps crawled over her skin as his gaze lingered here, then lingered there. Evelyn could feel the touch of his eyes as they made love to her. She trembled inside as her body screamed for more than just a look. Her body wanted more than just his eyes on her. It wanted his hands, his lips, his tongue, his everything on her everything. Evelyn's cheeks heated up at the thoughts that ran through her head but she wanted him, needed him to cool the fire that was building inside her. A fire that he was igniting.  
  
Evelyn caught her breath as the sensation in the pit of her stomach slithered down to the center of her womaness. She felt herself tingle and moisten and she wanted to scream out at the torture he was inflicting on her. 'It was unfair!' her mind shouted. Not too long ago, he had said he was fed up with her and now she was standing there ready to beg him to take her, touch her, taste her, love her.  
  
Then she saw the smirk on his face and pride and stubbornness rose up in her. If he thought she would beg him to make love to her, he was sadly mistaken. If he wanted her, he would have to do the begging. She would, of course, give in because she wanted the ache, the yearning that was deep inside her appeased. But he would have to make the first move.  
  
As she watched his eyes slowly travel back up her body, Evelyn wavered in her decision. Maybe she should go ahead and make the first move. Maybe... AH! He was making her weak and she hated it when he did that! But... She loved him. She wanted him. She needed him.   
  
When their eyes met again and she saw a look of smug satisfaction in his eyes, Evelyn's wavering stopped. She might love him. She might want him. She might need him. But she would never give him the gratification of her surrender. With her pride in tact and firmly at the forefront again, Evelyn said not a word as she stepped out of the tub and reached for her towel. As she dried herself, she waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.   
  
Rick never said a word.   
  
After Evelyn finished drying, she wrapped a towel around her wet hair and put on her bathrobe. As she walked past Rick out of the bathroom, he still did not say a word and neither did she.  
  
Rick had been standing there enjoying the sight of his wife's naked body. He knew she was still a little shy about being naked in front of him so he waited for her to tell him to get out. At least then she would be talking to him. But when she never said a word, Rick was taken by surprise and he was not sure what he should do. Should he take a chance and ask to join her in the tub or should he say 'excuse me' and leave?  
  
When Evelyn stepped out of the tub and began drying herself off, Rick wished he could trade places with the towel and rub himself all over her. He thought about suggesting it but he had had much too much rejection in the last week and his ego was not ready for another blow. So he stood in silence and watched her. After she walked past him, Rick mentally kicked himself for his lost opportunity. He could have at least tried. What's one more blow to an already battered ego?  
  
When Evelyn shut the door to the bedroom, she wanted to cry in frustration and disappointment. She saw the look in his eyes and she knew what that look meant - he wanted to make love to her. She wondered why he didn't say anything. When it came to making love, he was always very vocal and very aggressive about what he wanted, when he wanted it and where he wanted it.   
  
'I'm fed with her!'   
  
That was it, Evelyn thought sadly. He was fed up with her. But it just was not fair. He was the one who had wronged her. He had no right to be fed up with her did he? Of course he didn't. He should waiting patiently until she was ready to talk to him and ready to forgive him. He was the one in the wrong, not her. She was the innocent in all this. So why, then was she the one being punished?  
  
He was fed up with her. That was why.   
  
But... that look in his eyes. He might be wrongly fed up with her but Evelyn could tell that he had been aroused. Maybe his pride had kept him from making an advance toward her. She surely knew a thing or two about that dreadful nuisance called pride. And she was fast learning that pride was a cold, unfeeling bedfellow.   
  
Evelyn wondered if Rick would hold on tight to his pride as she had been doing for the last two weeks. Her only hope tonight was that he would not be able to deny himself, that he would throw down his pride and come knocking. Evelyn left the door unlock as she lotioned herself and put on her nightgown. She got in bed and waited for Rick to come.  
  
But he never did.  
  
Dreams. Evelyn only had her dreams. Dreams of him whispering her name. Dreams of him touching, caressing her sensitive places. Dreams that could never satisfy the need she had.  
  
*********************  
  
As Rick bathed, he wondered if he should try giving his body wanted it wanted. Evelyn had not blasted him and thrown him out of the bathroom. Instead she had stood there and let him get his fill looking at her. Maybe she was softening up toward him. Maybe this was the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe his hands and body could do the talking tonight. Maybe that was the way to break through the icy exterior to the passionate woman he fell in love with.   
  
By the time he got out of the tub, dried off and put on his tee shirt and boxers, Rick was not sure if he wanted to chance another rejection from Evelyn, so he went back downstairs to think. As he sat on the sofa, his libido debated his ego.  
  
'Come on. Let's go back up there' libido said.  
  
'Not gonna chance it' ego said.  
  
'Damn it! I NEED you to chance it!'   
  
'Why?'  
  
'Do you really have to ask WHY?!'  
  
'You've been without before'  
  
'Not when we got a wife upstairs'  
  
'A wife that's been locking us out of the bedroom'  
  
'Minor barrier'  
  
'Minor?'  
  
'Yeah, minor. Now get up there!'  
  
'You like ME gettin' beat like I stole something don't ya?'  
  
'That's neither here nor there. The main objective is to get some relief'  
  
'Relief for who?'  
  
'Me!'  
  
'What about me?'  
  
'What about you? If you weren't so sensitive...'  
  
'Sensitive? I'm the one that's been taking a beatin' for the last week. Not you'  
  
'And I'm the one who's been deprived of sustenance for the last TWO weeks'  
  
'Well it looks like we're both shit out of luck'  
  
'I can't believe you're gonna let a little thing like her being mad get in the way. You saw that look in her eyes. She's probably up there waiting to be wooed'  
  
'You really think so?'  
  
'Hell yeah!'  
  
'What if you're wrong and she kicks us out?'  
  
'What if I'm right and she lets us in?'  
  
'But what if you're wrong?'  
  
'What if I'm RIGHT?'  
  
'But...'  
  
'Right or wrong, we'll NEVER know till you try'  
  
'True'  
  
'So... what's it gonna be? Going up there like a man or sitting down here like a sissy?'  
'Insulting me won't get you anywhere'  
  
'There you go being sensitive again. Nobody's insulting you. I'm just calling it like I see it. So... you gonna be man?'  
  
'What part of 'Insulting me won't get you anywhere' don't you understand?'  
  
'Will you stop it with the sensitive sissy syndrome. Are we gonna make a move or what?'   
  
'Let me think about it'  
  
Wooing Evelyn into making love. The thought had merit. It was not like he had never done it before. However, 'before' she was talking to him and now, now he wondered if he even had a marriage left.   
  
Then Rick thought of the look in her eyes. He had caught the look just before she averted her gaze and stepped out of the tub. He was sure he saw longing there. But then Rick wondered if he was just seeing what he wanted to see. It took him a ½ hour before he finally made up his mind.  
  
With his course of action settled, Rick got up from the couch and headed upstairs. He stood in front of the bedroom door for a moment before he reached up and grabbed the doorknob. A smile spread across his face when he found it unlocked. But then his heart sank when he saw that the room was dark. Maybe Evelyn was not even in the room. Then his eyes went to the bed and he saw the lump of mass that was her. Rick walked over to the bed and sat down next to her.   
  
Evelyn's light snoring floated up to his ears and Rick could not help but smile. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and whispered her name, hoping to stir her. When Evelyn did not move, Rick stood up, took his tee shirt off and dropped his boxers. He walked around to his side of the bed and climbed in. He fitted himself nicely against Evelyn's backside and started pulling up her nightgown until his hand felt the cool flesh of her thigh. As he rubbed the soft skin, Rick felt himself begin to grow and his groin automatically began to grate against the soft cushion of her posterior.  
  
"Evy?" he breathed in her ear before nibbling on the lobe. "Evy... wake up" he whispered as his hand moved to slide inside her underwear. "Come on Evy... wake up" he murmured as his fingers moved to frolic in her hairy triangle. "evy..." he whispered again as his fingers pried their way into her folds to touch the tip of her bud. "Evy..." he moaned then slid his tongue along the edge of her ear. "Wake up baby..." he pleaded as he his hand left her core and moved up her stomach and grazed his palm over the peaks of one nipple then the other.   
  
Evelyn moaned incoherently. The sensations she was feeling began to build. If only it was real and not a dream, she thought in her sleepy mind. 'Don't' her mind began.  
  
"Go..." her mouth uttered. "Away."  
  
'Don't' her mind said.  
  
"leave me... alone" her mouth said in a hushed tone.  
  
'Go away. Leave me alone.'  
  
Rick was stopped cold at the words he heard. Even in her sleep Evelyn was refusing him. Rick gritted in teeth hard as he realized that the increasing throb in his groin would go neglected. Rick turned on his back and blew out a breath that was filled with frustration. He propped his head up on his hands and looked up at the dark ceiling. It was bad enough that Evelyn was not talking to him and now when he took a chance and tried to wake her for the sole purpose of making love, she shot him down cold. Rick wondered how much more of this his ego could take. With a sigh, he got out of bed.   
  
'You sure she said 'go away'' libido said.  
  
'You heard her' ego said.  
  
'Damn!'  
  
Wishful thinking. Rick only had his wishful thinking. Wishful thinking that he was in bed making love to his wife. Wishful thinking that she was calling his name as he brought her to peak. Wishful thinking that he was deep inside her easing the burden of his gorged flesh. Wishful thinking that could never satisfy the need he had. 


	12. I Love You

A/N:  
OK, you guys. I give up. I guess it's time to be a little nice to Rick. He's been thru a lot these last couple of chapters. I hope you all will forgive me and Evy for being so heartless.  
  
AJ Mackey! You have COMPLETELY messed me up!!! Rick and Evy weren't going to 'come together' in the physical sense until the end of P2P, but my golly!!! Your last review has got me thinking they may not be able to wait another 9 months!!! You tickled me when you wondered how Evy could sleep thru all that. Just remember she's pg and little Alex is zapping all her strength. And what energy he doesn't take, all that crying and self pity does.   
  
Marcher, because of AJ Mackey's review, Rick's libido/ego may get the chance to 'serve a few aces of their own' sooner than I had originally expected. LOL  
  
So, I hope you all enjoy and are happy with the conclusion of this chapter. Happy reading...  
  
  
  
  
The next morning, Evelyn woke up frustrated. Frustrated that all she had to hold on to during the night was her dreams. And that was hardly fulfilling. If she were talking to Rick, she would give him a piece of her mind. How dare he ignite her passions and leave her alone in bed. It did not matter that she was not talking to him. He should have known, he should have read her mind and known. Known that she wanted him, wanted him more than anything.  
  
Not only was she frustrated but Evelyn was also hurt that Rick had abandoned her. Again, it did not matter that she had spurned his every attempt to apologize. All that mattered was that she needed him last night and he was not there.  
  
Not only was she frustrated and hurt but Evelyn was also ashamed of herself. She had been so willing to give herself to him all because he looked at her with an undeniable craving in his eyes. She was angry with herself because she was so weak for him.   
  
Nothing had changed between them. He was still the man who had gone seeking another. She was still the woman who no longer trusted him. So why was she so willing to surrender to him? Why had she wished with all her heart that he would come and satisfy them both?  
  
Evelyn did not know why. But as she hovered over the toilet, expelling her dinner from the night before, her pride decided Rick would pay for what he did to her last night, for what he did not do to her last night and for the torment he put her through.  
  
After she got up from the bathroom floor, Evelyn washed out her mouth then her face and went back to her bedroom. Her room had become her haven to pout, feel sorry for herself and cry. Things she decided she needed to do before going downstairs. Things she was becoming quite proficient in.  
  
*********************  
  
The morning after his valiant attempt to woo Evelyn out of sleep and into lovemaking, Rick was awakened by a noise. His legionnaire instincts still very prevalent, Rick shot up into a sitting position on the couch and looked around. Then he heard it again and realized that the sound came from the kitchen. It was the cabinet door being slammed. He threw his legs over onto the floor and got up and walked sleepily into the kitchen.  
  
There she was stomping around the kitchen preparing her breakfast. Rick stood at the door watching at her. The silk robe she wore was clinging to her body and his body began to warm up as he thought of the night before.   
  
Evelyn knew he was standing there watching her and her heart began to pound. Her pride be accursed. She loved him and she was weakening in her decision to make him pay for what he had done to the night before. Just knowing that he was standing there watching her crushed Evelyn's pride and she prayed that he would say something, anything. The moment he opened his mouth, she would turn and run into his arms. She waited and waited and waited for him to say something. Then she prayed and prayed and prayed that he would.  
  
The seconds passed by painstakingly slow as she waited and he watched. Rick fought with himself again but this time his ego won and against the will of his heart, he turned and walked away.   
  
When Evelyn could not stand the waiting any longer, she turned to the doorway, only to see it empty. Her heart sank and two big teardrops rushed to the edge of her eyelids and cascaded over and down her cheeks.  
  
Evelyn felt completely despondent as she sadly gazed at the vacant doorway. She felt as if she was losing Rick and every bit of the fault lay at her door. She was foolish, foolish, foolish for saying she wanted a divorce. Condemnation and panic assaulted Evelyn with a vengeance as she thought about the damage she had done.  
  
Maybe she deserved to be an old spinster. Maybe she was getting her comeuppance for treating him so badly for the past weeks. Maybe a naïve, bookworm librarian like her did not deserve an experienced, gun-fighting adventurer like him.  
  
Rick felt utterly dejected as he climbed the stairs. He felt as if he was losing Evelyn and every bit of the blame lay at his door. He was stupid, stupid, stupid for getting drunk. And heaven only knew what he was thinking when he went to that whorehouse. Guilt and fear assaulted Rick with a vengeance as he thought about what he had done and the damage he had caused.  
  
Maybe he deserved to be alone again. Maybe he was about to pay for all the hell he raised in the past. Maybe a hard, corrupt devil like him did not deserve a soft, innocent angel like her.  
  
*********************  
  
For the next three days, the mood in the house got even more somber. Evelyn spent most of her time at the museum and Rick spent most of his time under the hood of his new car. Though they lived under the same roof, they had not seen each other since the morning after Rick walked in on Evelyn's bath. They both did everything they could to avoid each other. And both felt as if they were slowly dying inside.  
  
In the private recesses of their minds, Rick and Evelyn thought of life apart from one another. They saw less and less hope of finding their way back to each other. And though it was painful, they both could not help but think about the ugly truth that they might not have a life together anymore.  
  
Losing hope of reconciliation caused Evelyn even more tears. And even Rick, battle hardened Rick, had more moments than he would admit where there were tears in his eyes. The couple was miserable, broken-hearted and extremely unhappy. But neither seemed to have the fortitude to confront the other and save their young marriage.   
  
*********************  
  
It was Sunday morning and Rick had gone into town and Evelyn was sitting in the polar reading. She looked up in surprise when Jonathan walked in and called her name.   
  
"Evy?" he said as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.  
  
"Jonathan, what are you doing up so early?" she asked her brother.  
  
"It's not THAT early. It's nearly noon" he said.  
  
"It's early for you. Especially on a Sunday morning."   
  
"You got a minute?"  
  
"Sure" she said as she closed her book.   
  
"I need to talk to you" he said and Evelyn could hear the worry in his voice.  
  
"Is everything OK Jonathan?" she asked, thinking he had gotten into some kind of trouble  
  
"Not really."  
  
"What is it Jonathan?" Evelyn said, her worry beginning to rise.  
  
Jonathan paused, wondering if his decision to intervene on Rick's behave had been wise. Then he thought of Evelyn and how sad he knew she was and all the tears he heard her crying.  
  
"Evy..." he began.  
  
"Yes" she answered anxiously.   
  
"I need to talk to you."  
  
"You've already told me that. What is it Jonathan" she said nervously as she thought the worst.  
  
"You're being selfish Evy..." he said without preamble.  
  
"What?" Evelyn was taken by surprise. This conversation was about Jonathan not her.  
  
"You're being selfish Evy" he said again. "Don't you think it's about time you forgave O'Connell?"  
  
"Jonathan" Evelyn said with as much patience and calm as she could muster. "I don't want to talk about him. And besides that" she said as nicely as she could. "It's none of your business."  
  
"Yes, well that may be true but..."  
  
"But what?" she interrupted Jonathan. "I said I don't want to discuss him" she said tightly as she felt her temper rising.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry Evy, but we're going to discuss him."  
  
"NO we are not!" Evelyn said defensively. If she talked about Rick she knew she would cry and she did not want to cry in front of Jonathan.   
  
"Yes we are" Jonathan said stubbornly, surprising Evelyn.  
  
"Oh no we are not!" Evelyn frowned at him in an attempt to intimidate him.  
  
"Oh yes we are" Jonathan shot back. "AND we are going to discussing you're acting like a spoiled brat" he said firmly.   
  
Evelyn gasped. She was in a state of shock. Jonathan. Her brother Jonathan was asserting his will above hers. They were going to discuss Rick. And he had insulted her. She was acting like a spoiled brat. Evelyn's only option was to get up and walk out on him. After giving him a look of defiance, Evelyn stood to her feet.   
  
"Evelyn Louise Carnahan" Jonathan said as he stood up with her. "Sit! Now!" he demanded in his most forceful voice and prayed that she would heed his command.   
  
Evelyn looked at Jonathan with total surprise. He had spoken to her like that only once before in her life. It that was not too long after their parents had died and Evelyn had retreated into herself. She was not eating and all she did was stay in her room. Jonathan came to her and demanded that she eat so that she could remain healthy and he told her in no uncertain terms that she would not stay cooped up in her room forever. He made her leave the room and slowly she began to live her life again.   
  
Jonathan mentally let out a sigh of relief as he watched the look of defiance on Evelyn's face slowly turn to a look of resignation.  
  
"Now" he said in a softer tone after she, then he sat back down. "Why won't you give him a chance to explain?"  
  
"You don't know what he did Jonathan" Evelyn said in a pitiful voice as she began to cry.  
  
"He told me."  
  
"He told you?!" Evelyn looked at Jonathan and felt embarrassed that he knew that her husband had gone after another woman.  
  
"Yes and I think you should forgive him..."  
  
"Forgive him?!" Evelyn cried. "Jonathan how could you say such a thing when you know what he did?" she said, feeling like her own brother was turning on her.  
  
"He really didn't do anything Evy. Not really"  
  
"You call seeing another woman not 'doing anything'?!"  
  
"Evy, he wasn't 'seeing another woman'. Not in the carnal sense of the word anyway."  
  
"I can't believe you're taking his side. How can you take his side in this?" she cried.  
  
"I'm not taking his side..."  
  
"Yes you are" Evelyn cried, feeling betrayed.  
  
"No I'm not. I love you Evy. I'm on your side and I want to see you happy. But you're miserable..."  
  
"Because of him!" her pride asserted.  
  
"Because of you Evy" Jonathan said.  
  
"Me?" Evelyn said dejectedly. She could admit to herself that she had played a part, a small part in the rift between her and Rick but for Jonathan to say she was the cause of her misery was just too much to take.  
  
  
"Yes, you Evy. O'Connell loves you. He's tried to get you to talk to him but all you do is ignore him. He tells you he loves you, he tries all he knows to try to make things up to you and all you do is give him the silent treatment. He made one tiny mistake Evy. Why can't you forgive him?"  
  
"You call what he did a 'tiny mistake'?" she asked, not believing all of what he had just said.  
  
"Evy, most men, practically all men would have..." Jonathan said, feeling very uncomfortable discussing sex with his sister. "Would have... you know, most men would have, uh" he said trying to find the right words. "Committed the act with the woman."  
  
"And I'm suppose to be grateful that he didn't?!"  
  
"Let me finish Evy. These same men swear they love their wives. Well, I have to give O'Connell credit because he stopped short. And you know why? Because he loves you. I know... I know he shouldn't have gone there in the first place, but haven't we all done things we shouldn't have? Especially me. And you always forgive me."   
  
"But he betrayed me Jonathan" Evelyn bemoaned pathetically.   
  
"No he didn't Evy. He chose NOT to betray you. He was tempted yes. But, as the old hymn says 'Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin.'" Jonathan said. "He loves you Evy and that's why he walked away from the woman. Most men don't walk away from willing women, even if they do love their wives. He walked away from her and on top of that he told you the truth about it. Don't you think life would have been easier for him if he would have lied to you?"  
  
"He couldn't lie about it because I caught him red handed!"  
  
"Trust me Evy. Men can come up with some pretty believable lies when they're caught in a pinch."  
  
"But..."  
  
"No buts Evy. You need to go and talk to him. Listen to him and work things out."  
  
"How am I suppose to forgive him Jonathan?"  
  
"Do you love O'Connell?" Jonathan asked the question he already knew the answer to.  
  
"Yes" Evelyn said without hesitation as she wiped her tears.  
  
"That's how you'll forgive him. And remember" he said as pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Blessed are they that forgive..."   
  
Jonathan squeezed Evelyn tight before getting up and leaving her alone in the polar.  
  
*********************  
  
Do you love O'Connell? Yes. Rick was sure he had heard right. She did still love him. Rick felt as if he had been rejuvenated. She still loved him. He was sure that was what he heard through the open polar window.  
  
He had been walking past the window when he heard his name and stopped. He listened intently as Jonathan asked 'Do you love O'Connell?' His heart pounded in his ears as he waited for her answer. Yes. He barely heard it but he was sure he heard a 'yes'.  
  
His ego, still badly bruised from the past several days, wanted to be cautious. That was the only thing that kept him from running inside the house and confronting the wife that still loved him. He wanted to take it slow because he did not want to get his hopes up only to have them dashed if the 'yes' he heard was only wishful hearing. Rick turned from the window and headed back to his car. He needed to think of how to approach Evelyn and he needed to prepare himself for the worse.  
  
An hour later, Rick walked into the house and looked in the polar but found it empty. At the growl of his stomach, he decided to go to the kitchen and fix himself a sandwich. When he got to the doorway, he saw Evelyn standing at the sink looking out window.   
  
Evelyn had been mulling over Jonathan's words for the last hour. Her own brother, her only brother had turned on her and sided with Rick. She had tried to convince herself of that but her heart knew it was a lie. Her heart knew Jonathan was right.  
  
As Rick watched her, his heart struggled against his ego.  
  
'There she is' his heart smiled.  
  
'Maybe it's not such a good idea to talk to her now' his ego frowned.  
  
'It's as good a time as any'  
  
'What if you heard wrong'  
  
'I heard right'  
  
'How can you be sure?'  
  
'I just know'  
  
'What are you going to say?'  
  
'I don't know'  
  
'Maybe we should wait'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'So you can think about what you will say'  
  
'I don't think. I just feel'  
  
'Well I need to think about what you will say'  
  
'And you will mess things up with all your logic'  
  
'At least we won't look like a fool when you open your mouth and nothing comes out because you didn't let me think about what you would say'  
  
'Let me handle this'  
  
'You sure?'  
  
'I'm sure'  
  
With his heart made up, Rick walked into the kitchen. Evelyn was in such deep thought that she did not hear him approach and jump when she heard his voice.  
  
"Hey" he said in a soft voice as he walked up behind Evelyn. "I, uh I..." he started.  
  
'I knew we should have thought about this!' his ego said.  
  
"I need to talk to you" Rick said as he moved from behind her to stand beside her.  
  
Rick's hopes were lifted higher when she did not turn and walk away from him. Maybe his heart had heard that 'yes'. Rick then turned, leaned against the sink, his back facing the window, and looked at Evelyn's profile.  
  
"Evy, you know how I feel" his heart began. "I love you more than anything. You know that. I feel like I'm losing you and that's something I'd cut off my right arm to keep from happening. I don't wanna lose you. I don't want to go back to life the way it was before I met you. Just tell me what I gotta do to make it up to you and I'll do it."  
  
Evelyn remained silent but Rick's heart refused to give up this time.  
  
"If you need time, I understand. I'll give you all the time you need as long as we can work things out. I'm desperate Evy. Desperate to get back what we had. The last two weeks have been the worst weeks I've had to go though my whole life. Even worse... than when I was a kid.. and my Pa... left me at the orphanage" his voice cracked, exposing the well of emotion that was inside of him.  
  
When Evelyn again remained silent, Rick became more determined. He would not give up on her this time. All he wanted, all he needed was for her to say something, anything. So without another thought he grabbed one arm then the other and began to pull her in front of him. With a firm but gentle hold, Rick pulled her into his chest. His gaze was tender as he put his finger under her chin and lifted her head and looked into her eyes.  
  
"I love you Evy. You know that. You mean everything to me and my life isn't worth much without you" he said. "What I need more than anything right now is to hear you say you love me."  
  
As Rick waited to hear the words, he saw the conflict in her eyes. It was as if she was fighting against saying the words. A bit of desperation and doubt crept in.  
  
"Tell me Evy" he begged. "Tell me if you still love me."  
  
When she did not answer immediately, Rick, desperate to get a reaction of some sort from her, lowered his head. His mouth touched hers and he used his lips to open hers. He invaded her warm mouth with his tongue and felt as if he were in heaven. All his frustration, all his desperation, all his love was in that one kiss as the intensity increased and he hungrily devoured the inside of her mouth. He pulled Evelyn even closer and held Evelyn even tighter as his tongue possessively took hold of hers and mated passionately with it.  
  
Evelyn could not resist him. She did not want too. Yes! Yes! Yes! She loved him. She just could not seem to find her tongue to tell him. And right now, her tongue was otherwise occupied. Evelyn began to yield to his kiss the moment his lips touched hers. And his love. How could she stand against it any longer? She went soft in his arms and moved her hands up his chest. Just as her fingers were about to snake around to the back of his neck, he pulled away from her. Evelyn was left breathless as she slowly opened her eyes and saw the set of blues that were staring back at her.  
  
"Tell me Evy. Say it" he demanded. "Tell me you love me."  
  
"I love you" she whispered as her tears started. 


	13. Reconciliation

A/N:  
  
Thanks everyone for your continued interest in P2P. And thank you so much for your reviews, each and every one of them. I love to read them and I especially like it when I can take something that was said in a review and use it my story.   
  
AJ Mackey, Rick and especially Evy, would like to thank you for your review suggesting that 'pictures get   
knocked off the walls'. Well, that didn't quite happen but... Evy was ready to climb the walls. This one's for you.  
  
I hope you all enjoy... :)  
  
  
  
Jonathan had headed to the kitchen to get a bite to eat before going out for some Sunday afternoon carousing. The sight that greeted him as he stepped into the kitchen stopped him. A smile settled on his face as he watched his sister and brother-in-law. Happiness for his sister leaped up inside him as he watched the couple kiss. She seemed to be back where she belonged - in the arms of her husband. And nothing, not even the most expensive bottle of liqueur or the most lavish hoard of treasure, could make him happier, though they would run a close second.   
  
Though Jonathan always feigned disgust at their shows of affection, in reality, he was happy that his sister had found a man to love her as much as O'Connell obviously did. And, if truth be told, he was a bit jealous of that special something that his sister and O'Connell shared. When the kiss stopped, Jonathan quickly backed out of the doorway and left the house.   
  
"Tell me Evy. Say it" Rick had demanded. "Tell me you love me."  
  
"I love you" Evelyn whispered as her tears started.   
  
Rick rested his forehead against hers as relief washed over him. He had heard her right. She did still love him.  
  
Evelyn rested her forehead against his as relief washed over her. She did love him and that admission to him lifted a heavy weight off her shoulders. Confession was good for the soul.  
  
The two stood there, Rick with his arms circling around her waist, Evelyn with her arms resting on his shoulders. Strong forehead leaning against soft forehead, piercing eyes looking into crying eyes. Hard pectorals pressing against soft bosom.   
  
Heart beating against heart.  
  
His soul yearning hers. Her soul yearning for his.   
  
"Evy, I'm sorry..." Rick began.  
  
Evelyn put her fingertips up to his lips to quiet him. At that moment, words were not necessary. The rift between in their souls was mending and the powerful love they shared was drawing them back to one another. For the moment, they had everything they needed - each other.  
  
And for the moment, nothing else mattered. Time seemed to stand still as they stood, gazing into one another's eyes and letting the force of their love bind them even closer, knit them even tighter together. The love he felt for her and the love she felt for him was the only thing that existed. The love he felt was conveyed to her as he looked at her with naked eyes that poured out his emotions better than his words ever could. The love she felt was conveyed to him as she looked at him with yielded eyes that expressed her feelings in a way she had never expressed them before.  
  
Rick felt overwhelmed at boundless love he saw radiating from her eyes. He could not stop the tear that welled up in his eye and trickled down his face. Evelyn moved and reached up and kissed his tear, then his cheek, then her lips found his. The kiss was soft and gentle and Rick let Evelyn take the lead for as long as he could. But it only took seconds before...  
  
His body was yearning for hers.  
  
Rick broke the kiss and bent down and picked Evelyn up. As he started walking toward the kitchen doorway, Evelyn laid her forehead against the side of his face and closed her eyes. They still had some things to talk about and work out, but right now...  
  
Her body was yearning for his.  
  
Rick took the stairs two at a time as the blood rushed through his veins. Since words were not needed right now, he was anxious to tell Evelyn in other ways how much he loved her. He wanted to leave her with no doubt about how he felt about her. He wanted her to feel his love from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet.  
  
Rick opened the bedroom door, stepped inside, turned back to the door and kicked it shut. The bedroom was Libido Rick's domain and he took over. He set Evelyn on her feet then backed her up against the door. With urgency, Rick leaned his body into Evelyn's and lowered his head. With possessive aggressiveness, he covered and parted Evelyn's lips and slid his tongue into her mouth. As the duration of the kiss grew, he could not seem to get enough of her sweet mouth. The sighs coming from the back of her throat and the feel of her fingers at the nape of his neck ignited the fire in his blood even more. Rick reached up and roughly put in hands in her mass of hair. His fingers searched for and found the pins that held her hair up and he pulled them out and dropped them to the floor. Then he used his fingers to comb her hair down her back.   
  
Then all of a sudden, Evelyn felt was cold. The kiss had ended and Rick had pulled his warm body from hers. Before Evelyn could open her eyes good to see why Rick had ended the kiss, she was being turned around. Her hair was pulled to the side and slung over her left shoulder as lips landed on the backside of her neck. Evelyn closed her eyes as Rick pulled her back into his chest and wrapped his arms tightly her around the waist. After minutes of kissing, suckling and nibbling on her neck, Rick reached up and began unbuttoning her blouse. Within seconds, the blouse was hanging about her waist and the snaps of her brassiere were being undone.  
  
Rick's lips never left her neck as the palm of one hand glided up her stomach. His finger crept up then down the crevice of her bosom and hooked onto the brassiere. He pulled the brassiere down and off of her then threw it to the side.  
  
Next, the shirt was pulled out of the skirt and dropped to the floor. Then the skirt was unzipped and pushed off of her hips. Evelyn's ½ slip and underwear soon followed the skirt to the floor. Both of Rick's hands then moved to cupped and squeeze her soft breasts. When he heard a moan from Evelyn, Rick abandoned one breast and moved his hand back down her stomach. His fingers moved through her triangle of hair to the space between her legs. His fingers spread the folds of her flesh and stroked her sensitive spot. Evelyn swallowed hard at his touch and laid her head back on his shoulder. Rick's fingers worked their magic and his lips moved from her neck to her shoulder. Soft moans escaped Evelyn as he rubbed and caressed her.  
  
"R I C K..." she quietly moaned from deep within her throat as the sweet essence of her body began to flow.  
  
The pressure was slow but steady as Rick moved his fingers against her. Tiny cries of pleasure were heard as an urgency began to build in Evelyn. She grabbed his forearm, wanting his fingers to move quicker against her. Rick, however had other plans and kept his pace nice and slow. As her heated juices flowed heavier, Evelyn's hips began to move against Rick's hand.  
  
"R i c k... p l e a s e...." Evelyn begged as her body burned for quick release.  
  
"g o d... I love you Evy" Rick whispered in her ear as he increased the pressure of his fingers and brought her to climax.   
  
"r i c k..." Evelyn groaned as his hot breath, his words and his fingers caused her body to go into pleasant, very pleasant convulsions.  
  
"Feel good?" Rick breathed in a husky before sticking his tongue in her ear.  
  
"oooohhhh..." Evelyn answered as her body spiked with the pleasantness of culmination.  
  
Rick held her close until her aftershocks subsided, then her turned her back around to face him. Evelyn reached up and began to unbutton his shirt as Rick pulled the shirt out of his pants and started unbuttoning it from the bottom. In no time, his shirt was on the floor, his belt was unbuckled and his pants were unzipped.   
  
Rick then took Evelyn's face between his hands and smothered her with another passionate, wet kiss. After long moments of mating with her tongue, he left her lips to explore other parts of her body. Rick's lips kissed bottom lip then her chin before moving lower. He kissed down the center of the column of her neck, then down between her breasts. His lips moved to suckle and nibble the flesh of one breast then the other. Then he licked over one nipple then the other, going back and forth between the two.  
  
Evelyn grabbed his head and held him close to her breast, reveling in the sensations her was invoking in her, wanting more of him. As if he read her mind, Rick, with his lips still attached to her breast, slid his fingers into her moistened orifice and began his erotic ministrations again.  
  
"R I C K!" Evelyn cried out at sharp feeling of pleasure.  
  
Rick moved his finger up and down, left and right, back and forth. When he felt her begin to quiver, he moved his fingers faster and suckled her breast harder.  
  
"ooooohhhhhh!!!" Evelyn groaned as she reached her zenith.   
  
Rick moved both hands to her hips as he kissed between her breasts one last time before lowering himself to kiss down her stomach. By the time he reached her navel, he was on his knees. He licked and kissed feverishly over her womb as her body spiraled down from its zenith. Once Evelyn's tremors waned, Rick lifted her left leg, draped it over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around it to keep it stationary.  
  
"R i c k?" Evelyn breathed, remembering she was still a bit shy was being this exposed to her husband. "What... what are... you doing to me?" she sighed as she put her right hand on his shoulder and her left hand on his head to steady herself on one leg.  
  
Instead of answering her, Rick turned his head and began kissing the inside of her left thigh. He slowly, very slowly kissed and nibbled back and forth over her inner thigh. Rick used his finger to invade her sweet, wet body and caress her insides while his thumb brushed over her erotic bud.  
  
"R i c k... p l e a s e... p l e a s e..." she begged in a low, rasping voice. "aaahhh!!" she shouted as her body reached another pinnacle.   
  
Rick pulled his finger out of her and rubbed up and down her right thigh as Evelyn came down from her high. When she was close to recovering from his onslaught, Rick started in on her again.  
  
With her leg still over his shoulder, Rick used his fingers to open her to his seeking mouth, causing Evelyn to gasp. She dropped her head back against the door, closed her eyes tight and began to tremble at his touch.  
  
"ooohhh! aaaahhhhh!" she groaned as Rick's tongue moved on her. "r i c k!" she cried helplessly as he relentlessly caressed her. "p l e a s e... r i c k... p l e a s e!" she screamed as her body exploded in another climax. "p l e a s e" she whimpered. "p l e a s e..."  
  
Evelyn was begging Rick to give her what she wanted - him. But Rick had other plans. As her body spiraled down from its ecstasy, Rick did not ease his caress. He intensified it. He removed his mouth from her sensitive place and put his fingers there. He rubbed against her almost roughly as he kissed over her womb.   
  
"Rick, P L E A S E" she begged again as she labored to breath and tears formed in her eyes. The ache in her could only be soothed by him. She needed him to fill her, fill her with himself.  
  
Rick ignored her pleas and continued to massage her with his fingers, causing her body to climb the mountain of gratification again. After long minutes of caresses, Evelyn's body became taut as she neared release. When Rick felt her body nearing eruption, he slowed his movement to prolong the sweet agony.  
  
Evelyn thought she would expire from the pleasure. She moaned and moaned and moaned. Then she begged and begged and begged, until finally her body stiffened and found release again.  
  
Rick let go on her leg and let it fall to the floor. He put his hands on her hips and continued to kiss and lick across her stomach. Evelyn put both hands on his shoulders and tried to calm down. As her euphoria subsided, she dropped her head and looked down at the top of his head. When she found her voice, she spoke.  
  
"Please, Rick" she breathed out as her body continued to tremble from his touch. She was begging him to fill the void that was inside her.   
  
As his kisses climbed up her stomach, Evelyn knew Rick would carry her to their bed and satisfy the urgent need she had for him. However, Rick had other plans. He had kissed his way up to her neck and suckled it as he put his hands on her buttocks and pulled Evelyn into his hardened manhood.   
  
Evelyn sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and waited to be carried to the bed. Rick moved his hands over her derriere for several seconds as he rubbed his groin against her.  
  
"P l e a s e Rick" Evelyn crooned. "P l e a s e" she begged as she moved her hands to push his unzipped pants and boxers off his hips.   
  
When she did that, Rick could no longer hold himself back. He reached down and put his hand in back of her knee and lifted her left leg.  
  
"Wrapped your leg around me" he whispered in her ear.  
  
Evelyn wrapped her arms around his neck then did as he instructed as Rick held on to her thigh. He then lifted her right leg and Evelyn wrapped that one around him. Rick held her up by her buttocks and pinned her against the door. Evelyn held on to him for dear life as her legs tightened around his hips and her arms tightened around his neck.  
  
"ooohh!!" Evelyn moaned when Rick guided himself into her.  
  
Evelyn was complete once Rick was planted deep inside her. When Rick began his amorous movements, Evelyn felt as if heaven had come down to earth. She never dreamed her husband could make love to her against a door.  
  
"You feel so good baby" he breathed in her ear as he nibbled on it.  
  
"So do you" Evelyn sighed. "I missed you" she groaned as her body found satisfaction from his standing invasion.  
  
They both moaned and groaned their delight as Rick's hips keep up a steady rhythm. They both lost themselves in each other as their bodies became one. They both felt intense pleasure as their love juices began to flow then overflow. They both shouted as their bodies constricted, shuttered and then exploded from the rapture of their lovemaking.  
  
Both had labored breathing as Rick released Evelyn's legs and they slid down the sides his body onto the floor. Rick leaned into Evelyn, resting the side of his face against the side of hers and resting his forearms on the door on either side of her head. Evelyn left her arms hanging over his shoulders as she let out a satisfied sigh. 


	14. Back Where They Belong

The only sound each of them heard was the rapid pounding of their heartbeat and their heavy breathing. They stayed in their respective positions as they caught their breaths and their bodies simmered down. It took a few minutes before heart rates, breathing and body temperatures to return to normal. The void of the past couple of weeks between husband and wife was now filled again and both were glad for that.  
  
Rick could not be more thankful that things were back the way they should be. He had been so afraid that he was going to lose Evelyn and now everything fine. He was not losing Evelyn. She was still his.  
  
He grinned at the thought that she was still, completely his and he turned his head and kissed her ear. He then placed tiny kisses from her ear, across her cheek, to her lips. Rick covered her lips with his, gently opened her lips and drew her tongue into his mouth. He used his tongue to caress hers as he savored her sweet taste. Rick stole back all the kisses he had missed in the last couple of weeks as his mouth devoured hers.   
  
At that moment, Evelyn was where she needed to be, where she wanted to be. In the loving arms of her husband.  
  
'What about the woman?' her mind suddenly asked. 'Can you trust him?'  
  
Evelyn's heart and body did not want to answer those questions. Not now. So she pushed the thoughts out of her mind and allowed herself to succumb to the heated kiss her husband was giving her.   
  
Evelyn reached her hands up and circled his neck and pulled him closer as she pressed herself into his hard body. She sighed as Rick kissed her harder. Then, without breaking the kiss, wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. Their lips and tongues never parted as Rick turned and walked over to the bed.   
  
Rick pulled away from their kiss as he bent over and laid Evelyn down on the bed. As Rick looked down at her, all he wanted to do was love her. He spent the next several minutes doing just that. Carefully caressing, tenderly touching.  
  
He covered Evelyn with his body as he placed kisses over her face. He kissed her forehead. He kissed each eyelid. He kissed the tip of her nose. He kissed her left cheek. He kissed her right cheek. He kissed her chin. He kissed her lips.   
  
His every caress, his every touch said 'I love you'. He was gentle as he moved his hands over her body, caressing her breasts, her rib cage, her inner thighs and her womanhood. He used his lips and tongue to suckle her neck, her breasts.   
  
As he hands rested on her hips, Rick used his tongue to trace letters across her stomach.  
  
'I' he traced, then kissed her stomach.  
  
"I" he said gently.  
  
'L' he traced, then another kiss.  
'O' he traced, then another kiss.  
'V' he traced, then another kiss.  
'E' he traced, then another kiss.  
  
"Love" he said softly.  
  
'Y' he traced, then another kiss.  
'O' he traced, then another kiss.  
'U' he traced, then another kiss.  
  
"You" he said tenderly.  
  
Evelyn was brought to tears as his words touched her in a way they had never done before. She believed every syllable. She believed every letter. She believed every word.  
  
Evelyn basked in the glow of the tender love Rick was making to her. His every caress touched more than just her body. His every caress touched her heart, her very being. Whenever they made love, Rick always touched something deep within her. This time she recognized that he not only made love to her body, he also made love to her soul.   
  
Rick poured himself out for her as he refused to satisfy his need. He simply wanted to satisfy her. Evelyn would not be satisfied, not completely, until Rick filled her with himself.  
  
"Rick..." she whimpered when it seemed as if he would never consummate their lovemaking.  
  
Rick knew what she wanted and he could no longer deny himself. If he denied himself, he would deny her. Rick moved up her body until he was settled over her and between her legs. He put his hands underneath Evelyn's hips and lifted her as he entered her body, slowly and deliberately.  
  
"aaahhh" he moaned as his pleasure increased as he moved deeper inside of her.   
  
Evelyn closed her eyes and relished the feel of him. As he inched his way inside of her, Evelyn felt more complete, more satisfied.  
  
When he was fully embedded inside Evelyn, Rick lowered his face near hers and his lips hovered just above hers.  
  
"Evelyn" he breathed as he ran his finger across her bottom lip.  
  
Evelyn opened her eyes. He looked into her beautiful hazel eyes. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes.  
  
"Promise me" he said with urgency "You won't ever leave me alone."  
  
"I won't" Evelyn promised.  
  
"You own me Evelyn" he moaned as he pulled half way out of her. "You own every part of me" he groaned as he pushed himself back into her. "My heart is yours" he pulled out. "My soul is yours" he pushed in. "My mind is yours" he pulled out. "My body is yours" he pulled out and pushed in.  
  
Rick's lips then met hers and opened them. He caressed her tongue with his as his slow, long strokes paralleled the strokes of his tongue. As their bodies responded to the friction Rick was causing, his strokes increased in speed. He moved his lips to kiss her cheek before he rested his cheek against hers. Evelyn felt his hot breath in her ear as he pounded her body and his breathing became labored.   
  
Their love dance became wild as moans of pleasure escaped their lips. The closer they got to their peak of pleasure the more sensual their moans became.   
  
"aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh" they both moaned when sweet release was found and bodies trembled with the pleasure of it.  
  
When his body stopped it tremors, Rick rolled onto his back and carried Evelyn with him. He kissed her forehead, held her close, and was glad that she was back in his arms.   
  
Evelyn snuggled her head under his chin and closed her eyes. She was home again and it felt good.  
  
Rick lay with Evelyn in his arms until his stomach started growling. He knew Evelyn had fallen asleep because he had heard her snoring. He rolled over on his side and Evelyn rolled on her back, not waking up. He eased out of bed and pulled the covers over Evelyn before pulling on his boxers and heading down to the kitchen.  
  
********************   
  
Evelyn woke up two hours later. She felt pleasantly exhausted as she stretched her sleepy muscles. She smiled as she thought about what transpired just a few hours ago. Evelyn turned onto her side and ran her hand over the spot where Rick had been. She wondered where he had gotten off to as she grabbed his pillow and hugged it to her chest.  
  
Rick.  
  
The man she loved.  
  
Her husband.  
  
The father of her child.  
  
The man she...   
  
'Can you trust him?' her mind intruded.  
  
The smile on Evelyn's face dwindled as reality set in. Yes, she loved him. But did she trust him?  
  
"Hey sleepy head" Rick interrupted her thoughts as he walked into the bed. 


	15. Tug of War

A/N  
You guys, sorry for the extended delay in posting. And sorry for dragging this out but... I like the sss lll ooo www process :).   
  
Buffelyn, what's it gonna take for her to trust him again? Just a little time.   
  
Marcher, I feel my knife twisting days are coming to a close (at least for a little while) :)  
  
Dylan, your last review tickled me. I take it you're ready for Evy to 'trust' Rick :)  
  
Rick's girl, does she trust him? Yes, she just doesn't know it yet.  
  
And AJ Mackey, your review helped Evy explain what she was feeling to Rick and it will help her in her decision to trust him again (you'll see that in the next chapter).  
  
Thank you all soooo much for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter!! :)  
  
  
  
Evelyn lifted her head and turned toward Rick and watched as he approached the bed. He was dressed and he had that smile... that smile that melted her heart on his face.   
  
'Looks are deceiving. Don't be fooled by that smile' her logical mind reasoned.  
  
'But I love him' her heart rationalized.  
  
'But can you trust him?'  
  
'I want too'  
  
'But can you?'  
  
At that moment Rick sat down on the bed next to her. He leaned down and kissed her naked shoulder, then her cheek. The touch of his lips on her shoulder and on her cheek weakened her logical mind's resolve for a moment. Evelyn laid her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes as the kiss moved from her cheek to her neck.  
  
'It would be so easy to just forget the last two weeks' her heart reasoned. 'So easy'  
  
'Do you really think you CAN forget?' her mind quickly countered.  
  
'I could try'  
  
'Is that wise?'  
  
'To follow me instead of you?'  
  
'Yes'  
  
'I always follow you. Why can't you follow me sometimes?'  
  
'Following you got us in this mess in the first place'  
  
'I'm not the only one that loves him. You love him too'  
  
'Yes I do but I'M not a fool for love. He was unfaithful...'  
  
'HE WAS NOT! And I'm NOT a fool for love either'  
  
'Just a fool for him'  
  
'I HAVE to forget! WE have to forget'  
  
'Forget that he was unfaithful?'  
  
'HE WAS NOT... he was not unfaithful!!'  
  
'Well... what do you call it?'  
  
Silence...  
  
'Are you going to answer me?'  
  
'We have to forget'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'Because we love him'  
  
'Forget what he did?'  
  
'Yes!'  
  
'What happens the next time there's a fight?'  
  
Silence...  
  
'Will he go running after another woman?'  
  
Silence...  
  
'Will we be in a quandary thinking he had?'  
  
Silence...  
  
'Will we worry ourselves sick every time he walks out of the door?'  
  
Silence...  
  
'Will we torment ourselves wondering whose bed he was in?'  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said as her logical self gained the upper hand.   
  
"hum?" he mumbled as he pulled a patch of skin between his teeth and suckled it.  
  
"rick..." she groaned as she fought against the effect of his ardent kisses on her neck and the hand that had reached up and cupped her breast. "We..." she said weakly as he started rubbing her nipple with the palm of his hand. "We... we need... we have to talk" she sighed as her body began to surrender to the ministrations of his lips and hand.  
  
"Later" he breathed into her ear before latching onto her lope.  
  
Evelyn made her decision in an instance and her logical self no longer had the upper hand.  
  
Later. It would have to be later. Later they would talk. Later she would tell him what she was feeling, how she was torn. Later she would tell him she was afraid she might not bet able to trust him any longer. All that would have to happen. But it would happen later.  
  
But now...   
  
Now Evelyn would push her logical mind aside and follow her heart.   
  
She wanted him. She craved him. She would have him.  
  
Logic, reason, wisdom be cursed!   
  
She allowed herself to forget and she would surrender herself to him.  
  
Rick turned her over onto her back and covered her lips with his and it seemed as if only seconds passed before his body naked covered hers. Rick took his time as he explored her body again and she, though timidly, explored his. When their time came, they both wailed loudly as their bodies found gratification.  
  
Rick rolled off of Evelyn onto his back with a sigh of satisfaction. Evelyn pulled the bed sheet up to cover herself and they both lay there, remaining silent, looking up at the ceiling. Both thinking about the love they had and the love that had been shared between them that afternoon. Only the growl that emitted from Evelyn's stomach broke their tranquility.  
  
"Hungry?" Rick said as he rolled onto his side and laid his arm across her waist.  
  
"A bit" Evelyn laughed lightly.  
  
"Want me to go put some leftovers in the oven for you?" he said as placed a lazy kiss on her cheek.  
  
"Would you? While I hop in the bath."  
  
"Sure thing" he smiled then lifted his head and leaned over and kissed her lips.  
  
Evelyn watched as he got out of bed and pulled on his boxers and pants. After he left the room, she threw the covers off, got out of bed, grabbed her silk robe and went to the bathroom. When Evelyn was finished with her bath and came out of the bathroom, Rick was coming down the hall with a tray in his hands.  
  
"I was coming down" she told him when they met at the bedroom door.  
  
"Thought you might like to have supper in bed" he grinned a lecherous grin.   
  
Rick pushed the door open with his foot and motioned for Evelyn to go ahead of him then he followed her inside. As Evelyn walked toward the bed, she tightened the belt on her robe and took a deep breath. She would not be waylaid this time. After she finished eating, right after she finished eating, she would remind him of the talk they needed to have.  
  
After she settled herself against the headboard, Rick set the tray on her lap. He then went around to his side of the bed, stretched out on his side, propped himself up on his elbow and helped Evelyn eat the food on the tray. Rick did most of the talking, telling Evelyn about all the things he was learning about his new car. Evelyn commented every now and then but her mind was on their pending talk.  
  
When they had finished eating, Rick took the tray and put it on the floor on his side of the bed. As he turned back to Evelyn, she was throwing her legs over the side of the bed.  
  
"Hey" Rick reached out and hooked his arm around her waist before she could stand up. "Where you going?" he asked as he moved to sit behind her, his legs hanging over the side of the bed, snuggling her legs. "I thought we could stay in bed for awhile" he said huskily as he moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck.  
  
His plan was to keep her in bed for the rest of the evening.  
  
"Rick..." Evelyn said. "We need to talk."  
  
"We've... been... talking" he said between kisses.  
  
"Rick..." Evelyn felt herself weakening. "Really... we HAVE to talk. Rick please!" she said when he pulled her belt loose and slid his hand beneath her robe. "It's important" she said as she pulled his hand from beneath her robe, pulled it together and retied the belt. "We have to talk" she said as the stood up and walked out of his reach. "We have to talk" she said again after she turned and faced him. 


	16. The Talk

A/N:  
Dylan, AJ Mackey  
You two helped me with this chapter. Thanks! :)  
  
Linser  
I'm glad you aren't quite so annoyed with Evy anymore! :)  
  
Marxbros  
Will we see the birth? To quote one of our favorite characters: 'That is the plan' :) And I'm glad you are having tons of fun reading P2P. And don't think I've forgotten about 'Hereafter'. I hope you will continue that great story.   
  
Well everyone, here we go... Hope you enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
Rick sat on the bed with a look of disappointment and bewilderment on his face. What was there to talk about? He loved her. She loved him. He had told her how sorry he was for his mistake. She had obviously forgiven him. If she hadn't, she would not have let him make love to her.   
  
Everything was fine. Everything was back to normal. So what was there to talk about?  
  
"Is something wrong?" Rick frowned and stood up as his imagination began to run wild.   
  
He wondered if Evelyn was all right, if the kid was all right. Maybe his less than enthusiastic response to the news about the baby had driven her to drastic measures. He knew a woman had ways of getting rid of an unwanted kid. Had Evelyn?  
  
The thought struck a cord in Rick and panic crawled up his spine and attacked his mind with a vengeance. Had she gone to some quack doctor, midwife or even a madam? Had she 'gotten rid of' his kid? Had he lost him before he was even born?   
  
Rick did not want to believe it. He could not believe it. He refused to believe it because he wanted his kid.  
  
Rick wanted the baby and that realization hit him like a stone pillar. He knew without a doubt, without a shadow of doubt that he wanted the baby, his baby, their baby. But what if... What if Evelyn had... What if she... He would never forgive himself if...  
  
"Is... everything... OK?" his voice trembled as he looked down at her stomach then back up into her eyes. "Is the baby... OK?" Rick asked, his voice racked with anxiety.  
  
Evelyn's eyes began to water. She saw the fear in his eyes and she heard the trepidation in his voice. She knew then and there that he wanted this baby, their baby as much as she did.  
  
When Evelyn did not answer him, dread wrapped itself around his soul and squeezed it tight. Rick's heart began to pound in his ears. Grief, overwhelming grief began to well up in him as his breath became short.   
  
He would never see his face. He would never hear his voice. He would never get to know him.  
  
No! Rick shook himself mentally. He could not accept it. He just could not.  
  
"Is the baby OK?!" he demanded in a harsh voice.  
  
"The baby's fine" Evelyn said in a hushed tone as a single tear slid down her cheek.  
  
'The baby's fine'. Those were the sweetest words to Rick's ears. The baby was fine. Rick let out the breath he was holding and the grandest since of joy overtook the dread he was feeling. Once he let it sink in that the baby was all right, he turned his mind back to the talk they HAD to have.  
  
"What's the matter then?" Rick asked anxiously as he started walking toward Evelyn.  
  
"We need to talk" she said as she began to back away from him.  
  
"About what?!" he said impatiently.   
  
"Will you sit down?!" Evelyn said, her anxiety growing.  
  
"What is wrong Evelyn?!" he nearly shouted as stood towering over her. "Are YOU OK?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine" she said, looking up at his scowling face. "We need to talk."   
  
"About..."  
  
"Will you sit..."  
  
"NO!" Rick shouted. "WHAT is this about?!"  
  
"I AM NOT going to engage in a shouting match with you!" Evelyn raised her voice. "WILL you just SIT DOWN!"  
  
Rick turned a more fierce frown on her before gritting his teeth and turning and walking back over to the bed.  
  
"What is it we need to talk about?" Rick said in a controlled voice after he sat down on the bed.  
  
Evelyn took a deep breath, turned toward the room chair, picked up Mr. Huggy and sat down. Now where would she begin?  
  
"Rick..." Evelyn started.  
  
"Everything's OK between us, right?" Rick asked when Evelyn did not continue.   
  
Rick reasoned that if the baby was OK, and she was OK, then the only other thing that would be as important as for them to talk about was them.  
  
"No" Evelyn answered.  
  
"No?" Rick said.   
  
What could be wrong between them? After the last couple of hours, he figured everything was not only right between them, everything was back to being perfect between them.  
  
"No" Evelyn said, still unsure of where to begin.  
  
"Well what was this afternoon about?" he said in a troubled tone. "I thought after all that..." Rick continued in an anxiety-ridden voice. "I thought everything was fine" he said, thinking in the back of his mind that maybe, just maybe she still wanted to divorce him.   
  
Evelyn wished the last couple of hours they shared could wipe out the last couple of weeks. But they could not.  
  
"This afternoon was..." Evelyn said. She held her stomach as butterflies began to flutter as she thought about what he had done to her against the door. "This afternoon was beautiful. It was incredible" Evelyn breathed. "But..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"From the first day I met you" she began. "There was something about you... Something about you that appealed to me. When we came back from Hamunaptra, I figured out what it was. It was your strength and stability. Jonathan" she laughed lightly. "Has always come through for me when I needed him most but... he is far from strong and even farther from stable. But you. You were different. You were courageous. You were strong. You were stable. You were dependable. And I realized I needed that. I know now that the main reason I fell in love with you so quickly was because I could rely on you. I could depend on your strength. I could depend on your stability. I could trust you with my life and... I thought I could trust you with my heart."  
  
"You can" Rick said quickly. "You still can."  
  
"Can I?" Evelyn bemoaned. "Rick" she continued before he could respond. "You... you went to see another woman" Evelyn said in a pained voice.  
  
Rick had no answer for that. He did go 'see another woman'. But, he reasoned within himself, he did not do anything.  
  
"But I didn't DO anything!" he said anxiously.  
  
"You call seeing another woman on your wife 'not doing anything'?" Evelyn frowned, her ire rising.  
  
"It's not like I..." he started to use crude words but remembered who he was talking too. "It's not like I hopped in her bed."  
  
"And you think that makes a difference?"  
  
"Hell yeah!" Rick said urgently. "Evy" he said more calmly. "I wasn't unfaithful to you. I swear it! Don't you believe me?"  
  
"How would you feel" Evelyn chose not to answer his question but present him with a question of her own. "If I had gone looking for male company after having a fight with you?"  
  
"What we had was more than a fight" he said, not wanting to even think about Evelyn being in another man's bedroom. "You wanted a divorce!" he said, trying to excuse what he had done.  
  
"So it's my fault" Evelyn said in a strained voice. "That YOU went to another woman?"  
  
"I didn't say that" Rick said defensively.  
  
"Well what are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying I was hurt..."  
  
"And you think that gives you leave to do what you did?" Evelyn asked.  
  
"No!" he said. "You said you wanted a divorce..." he said again.  
  
"And that gives you the right..." Evelyn interrupted him.  
  
"NO!" he interrupted her. "I told you... I felt like my guts had been ripped out and I did the only thing I knew to do. I went somewhere I shouldn't of. Got drunk... and ALMOST! ALMOST! But DIDN'T do something I would have regretted for the rest of my life."  
  
"What happens the next time we fight?" Evelyn said sadly. "Will you go somewhere you shouldn't, get drunk and do something you'll regret for the rest of your life?"  
  
"No!" he said emphatically.  
  
"How am I suppose to trust that you won't? How CAN I trust that you won't?" Evelyn asked as some old fears began to surface.  
  
"I never lied to you Evy" Rick said in a panicked voice as he stood up and began pacing. "NEVER!"   
  
"And how would I know if you had?" Evelyn asked the logical question as she watched him pace.  
  
"I HAVEN'T!" Rick said empathetically as he stopped his pacing and looked at her. "You have to believe me. Since the day I met you, I haven't been with another woman. You're the only one. Don't you believe me?" he said, his eyes begging her to say 'yes'.  
  
"I want to" she said as tears began to well up in her eyes.  
  
"Evy" Rick said as he walked over to her and squatted down in front of her and took her hand. "I made a mistake..."  
  
"Is that what you call it? A 'mistake'" she whispered as tears started streaming down her face.  
  
'He made one tiny mistake Evy' she heard Jonathan's voice say.  
  
"Evy please don't cry" Rick begged. Knowing that he had been the cause of all of her tears, he reached up and tried to wipe the tears away. "You know I love you..."   
  
'O'Connell loves you' Jonathan's voice said.  
  
"And I'd give ANYTHING to take back what I did. But I can't take it back" he said with regret. "All I can do is beg you to forgive me..."  
  
'Why can't you forgive him?' Jonathan's voice said.  
  
"And trust me because I swear to you I have NEVER lied to you. Never! Don't you think" he switched angles in the argument for his case. "That it would have been easier for me to make up a lie about the lipstick?"   
  
'Don't you think life would have been easier for him if he would have lied to you... Trust me Evy. Men can come up with some pretty believable lies when they're caught in a pinch' Jonathan's voice said.  
  
"Please Evy" Rick pleaded when Evelyn remained silent. "Forgive me."  
  
'Do you love O'Connell?' Jonathan's voice said.  
  
"I do" Evelyn said in a hushed voice as her tears continued to fall. "I forgive you."  
  
Rick felt a surge of relief surge through his body and a smile crept on his face.  
  
"But..." Evelyn said in a small voice, vanishing Rick's premature smile. "I don't know... I don't know if I can trust you anymore" she said with regret.  
  
"Evy..."  
  
"Rick," she interrupted him. "You said you'd give me time" she reminded him of the statement he had made earlier. "I need time."  
  
Rick saw the struggle in her eyes. He knew she loved him. He knew it without a doubt. And he believed her when she said she had forgiven him. But he also knew that he had done a lot of damage when he acted so recklessly. And now he was paying for his actions.  
  
"I love you Evy" Rick said, wanting to make sure she knew that.  
  
"And I love you" Evelyn said. "And I want to trust you. But right now..." she paused and looked deep into his eyes. "Right now I don't know if I can" she said, her crying increasing.   
  
"Evy please..." he said as she squeezed her hand tighter, hating her crying, hating that she did not think she could trust him anymore.   
  
"Rick..." she interrupted. "I... I need time."  
  
Rick struggled for a few moments. He had told her that he would give her all the time that she needed as long as they could work things out. Well, he now knew that was easier said than done. But if she needed time, then that was what he would give her.  
  
"Promise me..." he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Promise me..." he paused and looked up at her with eyes that were full of love. Full of love for her. "Promise me" he continued. "That we'll make it through this."  
  
Evelyn looked down at him. The love she saw in his eyes brought even more tears to her own. She felt more loved in that moment than she had ever felt. She knew, knew deep down in her heart that they would make it through this. She just needed to find a way to trust him again.  
  
"I promise" she whispered.  
  
Despite the situation, Rick smiled. He could not ask any more of her. She had promised and he knew they would be all right. He reached up and wiped her tears again then lifted himself up until he was face to face with her.  
  
He looked into her eyes. She looked into his.  
  
The love they shared was there and it was almost tangible. After a few silent moments, Rick leaned in and gently touched her lips with his. The kiss was soft. The kiss was tender. The kiss was delicate. And it was full of love. And in that quiet, gentle moment, their love grew deeper and stronger.   
  
When the kiss ended, they stared into each other's eyes and Rick pulled slightly away wiped away another tear. Then he moved closer and snuggled her nose with his. He kissed her lips one last time then stood up and walked out of the bedroom.  
  
********************  
  
The next week passed slowly for both Evelyn and Rick. At night, when they went to bed, they would both lay there looking up at the dark ceiling, listening to the night sounds and each other's breathing, but neither said a word. When morning came, Evelyn would roll out of bed and head to the bathroom to regurgitate last night's dinner and Rick would be there holding her hair back. Breakfast was quiet unless Jonathan graced them with his presence. Rick would drive Evelyn to the museum and they would say 'goodbye'. He would come back for lunch, then come back when it was time to go home. Dinner had a bit more conversation than breakfast because they would talk about the things they had done that day.  
  
On Saturday morning, Evelyn decided she would say at home instead of going into the museum for ½ a day. She had thought her work could take her mind off Rick, but the past week had proved it could not. She was feeling blue because, though there was a truce between her and Rick, she missed him and the intimacy their souls shared. She longed to get that back and she knew it was time to face her obstacle.  
  
Evelyn went out on the back porch and sat on the swing.  
  
Trust. It was important to her. She needed to be able to trust the man she loved, to trust the father of her baby completely. But, as much as one wants to forget when they have been wronged by the person they love, it often does not happen. The 'what ifs' are there. And unless trust is firmly established, the marriage would be on shaky ground.   
  
Evelyn sat on the back porch swing until noon wrestling with herself. To trust or not to trust. The decision was hers. But she was afraid to make the decision her heart wanted to make. Trust him... trust him... trust him, her heart urged. But what if... fear said.  
  
What if he had been lying to her all along? What if he had been seeing this woman or other women the entire time they had been married? What if, after seeing these other woman, he had the presence of mind to wipe off all evidence of his infidelity? What if he had been intimate with the woman that left the lipstick on him?   
  
He said he had never lied to her. He swore he was telling the truth. He said he had not been with another woman since the day he met her. He said he had been faithful to her. He said he had walked out on the woman who left the incriminating lipstick.   
  
Her heart believed him, believed every word he said. But what if... At that moment, her heart made its decision.   
  
******************  
  
Rick was in the front washing his car when Evelyn stepped out on the front porch. She watched him for a few moments before calling out to him.  
  
"Rick" she called from the top step.  
  
Rick turned at her voice.  
  
"Hey" he grinned.  
  
Evelyn looked at him. Looked at his handsome, trustworthy features. Looked into those brilliant blue eyes and at that shinning smile. And knew. Knew she had made the right choice when she married him. Knew she had made the right decision to trust him.  
  
"I love you" she said.  
  
Rick's smile grew brighter and he dropped his washrag and walked over and stood at the bottom step.  
  
"I love hearing you say that" he smiled as her words washed over him, refreshing his soul.  
  
"And I trust you" she said.  
  
Rick wanted to hear those words but he was a little afraid that he had not heard her right.  
  
"I love you and I trust you" she said again.  
  
It took Rick another second before her words sunk in. She loved him. She trusted him. His smile got even brighter and he felt giddy. She loved him. She trusted him.  
  
She loved him. He took one step. She trusted him. He took another step. She loved him. Then another step. She trusted him. He landed on the step just below the top step. He settled his hands on her hips and looked into her eyes. She settled her hands on his biceps and looked into his eyes. Smiles settled on both faces as husband and wife were reconciled completely. 


	17. Dousing and Dodging

A/N  
This chapter, at least the last 1/2, was inspired by Buffelyn's story 'The Rule of Three'. When I read it, of course I loved it and thought the idea of Rule would fit perfectly in P2P. So, Buffelyn, thanks for helping me with this chapter :)  
  
  
  
  
"You love me huh?" Rick said with a smile after a few moments.  
  
"A bit" Evelyn smiled back.  
  
"And you trust me?"  
  
"Completely."  
  
"You won't ever regret it. I promise you that."  
  
"I know I won't."  
  
Rick moved in and captured her lips to seal the reconciliation between them. They shared a sweet kiss for many moments before Jonathan's voice disrupted their serenity and they pulled their lips apart.  
  
"Well now" he said as he stepped outside onto the porch and walked toward the steps. "I see things may finally back to normal. Are they?" he asked once he was standing next to Evelyn on the top step. "I see they are" he said when he looked at his sister and O'Connell, foreheads touching and dreamy eyes staring into dreamy eyes. "I hope I don't live to regret it" he said as he rolled his eyes and walked down the steps.  
  
"Your brother can be a real pain in the..." Rick said.  
  
"I know" Evelyn said after she put her fingers up to Rick's lips to hush him. "I'm hungry" she said in the next breath.  
  
"How about we go into town to that café you like" Rick said once Evelyn dropped her fingers from his lips.  
  
"um... I'd rather stay at home today. There are leftovers from last night's dinner."  
  
"You sure you don't want to go out to eat?" Rick asked as he squeezed her around the waist.  
  
"I'm sure" Evelyn said as she hugged his shoulders. "I just want to spend a quite afternoon here with you."  
  
The O'Connells shared another sweet kiss before going back inside to have lunch. After lunch, Evelyn reminded Rick that he had not finished washing his car and volunteered to help him complete the task. While washing the car, Evelyn had gotten into a playful mood and decided Rick needed washing also. She took the bucket of soapy water and splashed him with it causing him to yell out at his sudden state of wetness. Rick chased her around the car a few times before catching his wayward wife.   
  
"aahhh!" she yelled when his arms wrapped around her arms and pinned them to her sides. "You're wet!" she exclaimed when he pulled her back into his soaking wet front.  
  
"Really?" Rick said in her ear before pinching the lope between his teeth.  
  
"Yes really! Now let me go!" Evelyn laughed as she struggled to free herself.  
  
"You really think I'm gonna let you get away with what you just did to me?" he asked as he tightened his bear hug around her.  
  
"What did I do?!" she said with all innocence. "Nothing that's what. I didn't do anything. It was an accident. The bucket slipped..."  
  
"And the water just happened to land in my face?"  
  
"Yes" Evelyn shook her head. "That's exactly what happened."  
  
"Well" he said, then kissed her cheek. "We beastly Americans don't take kindly to 'accidents'. And we always want retribution."  
  
"Don't be silly" Evelyn laughed nervously. "Retribution isn't necessary."  
  
"Sure it is" he said as he started walking forward.  
  
"No it's not" Evelyn said as they walked toward the bucket.  
  
"Sure it is" he said again.  
  
"It's not. Really."  
  
"Well... maybe not here in Cairo or in England. But in the States, retribution is quite necessary."  
  
"But you're not in the States" Evelyn reasoned.  
  
"But American blood runs through my veins no matter where I am."  
  
"Yes, but..."  
  
"And..." Rick said as he kept his hold on Evelyn and reached down and picked up the bucket. "Retribution is a must."  
  
"But it isn't! It really isn't!" Evelyn insisted as she was turned toward the well.  
  
"Being married to an American, you're gonna have to get use to American ways" Rick said as he started walking them toward the well.  
  
"American ways are barbaric."  
  
"Really" Rick laughed.  
  
"Yes, if this" Evelyn said as they got closer to the well. "Is the 'American way'."   
  
"Disappointed that you're married to a beastly American barbaric?" Rick teased once they reached the well.  
  
"You're quite civilized" Evelyn complimented, trying to escape her immediate peril. "And that" she continued. "Is why I love you so much. You're quite civilized."  
  
"Retribution is a civilized notion you know" he said as he set the bucket on the well wall and started pumping the water into it.  
  
"Maybe in the States" Evelyn said as she watched the bucket fill with water. "But we live in Egypt now and in Egypt, retribution is quite uncivilized."  
  
"Never thought I'd see the day when something in Egypt was considered uncivilized" Rick said as he finished filling the bucket.  
  
"Well, we live in a new day. A new CILIVIZED day. A new civilized Egypt. A new civilized Cairo" Evelyn said in a rushed as Rick picked up the full bucket.   
  
If she could just break free, Evelyn thought, she would run. But she knew he would catch her, so another plan was needed. As Evelyn quickly thought, Rick released her and she thought about flight for just a moment and then rejected the idea.  
  
"So..." Rick grinned at Evelyn as he turned her around to face him. "We live in a new day?"  
  
"Yes" Evelyn said quickly and shook her head as she looked from the bucket dangling in his hand up to his dancing eyes.  
  
"A CIVILIZED Egypt?"  
  
"Yes" she said as she took a step to the left. "A VERY civilized Egypt."  
  
"A CIVILIZED Cairo?"  
  
"Yes" she said and took another step to the left. "Very civilized."  
  
"Are you trying to get away from me?" Rick asked in a husky voice as he eyed his prey.  
  
"No of course not! It's just a bit hot out here" she fanned herself. "And I think it's time for a nice cool glass of lemonade" she said as she continued to take tiny steps away from the well and away from her stalker.  
  
"The water's cold. It'll cool you off" he said as he began advancing toward Evelyn.  
  
"You wouldn't" Evelyn said as she realized he was really serious about dousing her.  
  
"I wouldn't?"  
  
"No" she said as she continued to retreat and he continued to advance.  
  
"And why wouldn't I?"  
  
"Because... because you love me" she offered.  
  
"Guilty as charged" he smiled, still advancing. "But those pretty hazel eyes aren't enough to change my mind."  
  
"What will change your mind?"  
  
"Hum... Let me see..." Rick said with mock concentration. "I can't think of anything" he looked at her with as much seriousness as he could.  
  
"I though you loved me."  
  
"I do."  
  
"Well, how could you do this to me?"  
  
"Retribution doesn't stop for love."  
  
"It should."  
  
"But it doesn't."  
  
"I'll get wet" she said.  
  
"I'll dry you off" he returned in a sexy voice.  
  
"I'll get a chill."  
  
"I'll keep you warm."  
  
"I love you" she said sweetly, hoping her words would change his mind.  
  
"And I love you..." he said and she knew his mind was not changed.  
  
"Richard Ulysses O'Connell!" Evelyn changed tactics and feigned anger. "If you douse me with that water... I swear... I swear I'll NEVER speak to you again!"  
  
"Evelyn Louise O'Connell. You drive a hard bargain."  
  
"I swear it" she proclaimed once she had backed herself up against the bottom step of the porch.  
  
"You know" he said as he lifted the bucket. "I love a challenge."  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said as she watched the bucket. "You wouldn't."  
  
"I would" he said, then let the bucket 'slip'.  
  
"Aaaahhh!" Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut and screamed as the water hit her in the face and ran down and soaked her front.  
  
In the next instance, her scream was silenced with a kiss. A kiss that was teasing and tender, sweet and sensuous. It did not take long before Evelyn gave up her feigned anger and melted in the arms of her husband. The kiss lasted many many moments before their lips parted for a brief second only to come back together and resume the kiss.  
  
It did not take much for Rick to meet Evelyn's challenge of never speaking to him again. It only took a few sincere, heartfelt words.  
  
"I'm crazy about you Evy" Rick breathed after the kiss finally ended.  
  
After those words, words so sweet, so sincere, how could she hold onto her pseudo threat?  
  
"And I'm crazy about you" she said softly.  
  
********************  
  
Two weeks had past and things were better than normal. Both Evelyn and Rick had a greater appreciation for each other. They both had learned how important it was to communicate, no matter the circumstances.   
  
Rick opened up to her more about his feelings of abandonment. Evelyn saw how truly vulnerable he had been as a child and how vulnerable he was still as a man. Rick shared with Evelyn his overwhelming fear of failing as a father and then the even greater fear he felt when he thought she had gotten rid of the baby.  
  
Evelyn apologized again and again for saying she wanted a divorce and Rick would tell her again and again that she had nothing to apologize for. She assured him more than a few times that she believed in him and that she was more than confident that their child could not have a better father.  
  
The young couple was growing up. They were growing closer together and growing stronger.  
  
**************************  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said in a soft voice as she lay on his naked chest.  
  
"Hum?" he said as he ran his hand down her naked back and rubbed her bare rump.  
  
"How many women have you been with?"  
  
"What" he said, sure he had not heard her right.  
  
"How many women have you been with?" she said again.  
  
Rick did not want to answer the question. Not when it came from his wife. So he said nothing.  
  
"Well?" Evelyn asked after she got not answer.  
  
"Well what?" Rick said, dreading where this conversation was going.  
  
"How many women have you been with?" she said after she lifted her head and looked down at him.  
  
"Evelyn" Rick looked up at her. "This is not a conversation we need to have."  
  
"Why not?" she asked as she rolled off of him, sat up against the headboard and pulled the bed sheet up to her chest.  
  
"Because" he said as he put his hands beneath his head, locked his fingers together and looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Because what?"  
  
"Just because!"  
  
"BECAUSE what?"  
  
"Because I said so."  
  
"Well, that's not a good enough reason" Evelyn returned. "So how many?"  
  
"How many what?" Rick said, stalling.  
  
"How... many... women... have... you... been... with?" Evelyn said slowly, as if she were talking to a child.  
  
"Evelyn" Rick said. "We just made love. WHY are we talking about other women?"  
  
"So there have been more than one?"  
  
"I don't want to have this conversation."  
  
"It wouldn't be a conversation if you'd just answer the question."  
  
"Why do you want to know?"  
  
"Because I want to know."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just curious. So how many?" Evelyn persisted.  
  
"You aren't gonna let this go are you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I don't know" Rick said honestly. "I wasn't keeping count."  
  
"It's been THAT many?" Evelyn asked and Rick thought she sounded appalled.  
  
"Noooo" he said defensively. "Just a few. WHY are we having this conversation?!" he said in the next breath.  
  
"How many is a few?"  
  
"I don't know. Three, four, five. I don't know" Rick said, knowing that since loosing his virginity at age 15, he had been in and out of whorehouses more times than he could count. And that was a bit of information he did not relish sharing with his wife.  
  
"Does that number include me?"  
  
"No. It's different with you. I..." he said then stopped short of 'only screwed them'.  
  
"You...?" Evelyn prompted.  
  
"Tell me again why we're having this conversation."  
  
"Curiosity. What were they like?"   
  
"Who?"  
  
"The women."  
  
"Evelyn, is this necessary?"  
  
"Yes it is. I'd like to know about the other women you were interested in."  
  
"They were just women. No big deal."  
  
"Something about them caught your eye. Were they professional women?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"What type of work did they do?"  
  
"All types."  
  
"And these types were...?"  
  
"Evelyn, I'm not about to go through and list every profession of every woman I know."  
  
"Were they pretty then?"  
  
"What?" Rick turned and looked up at Evelyn.  
  
"Were they pretty?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The women that you were interested in."  
  
"Evelyn. My past is just that. My PAST. WHY do you need to know this stuff?!"  
  
"Just curious. So were they pretty?"  
  
"Who?" Rick said, wanting to forget their present conversation.  
  
"The three, four, five women you've been with."  
  
"I thought you said this wouldn't turn into a conversation once I answered the question."  
  
"That was before you made it difficult."  
  
"They weren't as pretty as you" Rick said, knowing Evelyn would not let this question go either.  
  
"So you thought they were pretty?"  
  
"Pretty" he said as he turned to his side and laid his arm across Evelyn's lap. "But not gorgeous" he said then kissed her arm. "Like you. And" he said as he began pulling the bed sheet down to expose her breast. "I feel like showing you how gorgeous I think you are" he said then leaned over and took a nipple into his mouth.  
  
That conversation ended and another, more pleasing conversation ensued. 


	18. Will They Try The Couch?

A/N  
This chapter takes place few days after chapter 17. The chapter really doesn't have a plot to it. In fact, I'm not sure how I would classify it. It's just a scene I thought up and decided to post because I'm having trouble with the flow of how I want things to go from here on out.  
  
Rick drove Evelyn to the museum and now it's lunch time and he's coming to pick her up. Hamid was introduced eariler and he's Evelyn's helper at the museum.   
  
anyway, enough rambling...  
  
  
  
  
"Mrs. O'Connell has been crying" Hamid told Rick when he came to the museum to pick Evelyn up for lunch.  
  
"What?" he said, then frowned. "For what? Where is she?"  
  
"In the back office" he said as they started walking in that direction.  
  
"Why was she crying?" Rick asked again.  
  
"One of her books was not cataloged properly. And she simply burst into tears" Hamid, still perplexed, said as he threw his hands up.   
  
"You're kidding me" Rick said.  
  
"Kidding you?"  
  
"Exaggerating" Rick said, trying to explain what he meant by 'kidding'. "You're exaggerating about Evy crying."  
  
"Oh no, Mr. O'Connell. I do not exaggerate. I tell you the truth. She was crying tears" Hamid said as he shook his head. "I try to calm her and tell her it was alright. I tell her I would re-catalog the book. But to no avail. She just cry, cry, cry. I know not what to do."  
  
"Is she still crying?"  
  
"I am not sure. Is something amiss with Mrs. O'Connell?" Hamid asked. He was very fond of her and was concerned about her well being. And crying for no good reason seemed a bit odd for her.   
  
By this time, Rick and Hamid had reached the office door and Rick opened it without knocking.   
  
"Evelyn" Rick said in a worried voice as he rushed toward her.  
  
She was sitting behind the desk in a high back chair with her eyes closed.  
  
"Evelyn" he said softly as she reached out and palmed her cheek. "Evelyn?"  
  
Evelyn stirred at his touch and slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"Rick?" she said in a sleepy voice.  
  
"You OK?" he said quietly as he leaned against the desk.   
  
"Goodness" Evelyn said then let out a very unladylike yawn. "Pardon me. I must have dosed off" she said as she stretched her arms wide. "It's lunch time already?"   
  
"What's wrong Evelyn?"   
  
"What's wrong?" she gave him a bewildered look then noticed Hamid was in the office. "Nothing" she said and knew Hamid had told Rick about her weeping episode.   
  
"Hamid said you were crying."  
  
Evelyn had been bursting into tears over the silliest of things for the last two weeks and today was the first time anyone had been witness to it. She felt foolish about it, especially since she did not know why she was having these crying episodes. And the last thing she wanted was for anyone else to see how silly she had been acting.  
  
"It was nothing. Really" she said when Rick gave her a doubting look. "I was a bit upset. That's all."  
  
"Upset because a book wasn't cataloged right?!"  
  
"Rick you're making too much of this" Evelyn said.  
  
"Evelyn. What's wrong?" he said.   
  
Rick was not convinced that her crying was 'nothing'. Evelyn was a strong woman and her strength was one of the reasons he fell so fast for her. Crying was not something she did just to do and if she had been crying something had to be wrong.  
  
"Nothing" Evelyn insisted as she stood up. "I am starving and ready for lunch" she smiled at Rick.   
  
Rick looked at her with a worried expression for a moment.  
  
"Are you sure you're OK?" he asked in a soft voice as he pulled her toward him.  
  
"I'm fine honey. Really" she assured him with a smile.  
  
Rick stared at her for a few more moments, then reluctantly relented and stood up and followed her out of the office.  
  
*******************   
  
"Are you SURE everything's OK?" Rick asked again as they sat at the café eating.  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"Then WHY in the world were you crying. It's not like you to cry."  
  
"I was upset" she said, not wanting to explain something she had not explanation for.  
  
"Because a book wasn't cataloged right?"  
  
"I can't explain it" Evelyn said. "The book was out of place and I felt like crying so I did."  
  
"Maybe you should go see the doctor."  
  
"Rick, I don't need to see the doctor."  
  
"Maybe you should."  
  
"Maybe I shouldn't."  
  
"Well something's got to be wrong with you. I'm taking you to the doctor."  
  
"There's no need for strong arm tactics."  
  
"With you there is."  
  
"First you bully me and then you insult me. Mr. O'Connell, you are quickly working your way onto the couch."  
  
"The couch sounds good" Rick grinned, knowing she was teasing him. "It is my plan to make love to you in every room in the house."  
  
Evelyn gasped, turned rosy red and discreetly looked around to see if those sitting near them had overheard her husband's remark. Rick could not do anything but let out a hardy laugh. When Evelyn turned her gaze back to him and glared at him, Rick raised his brow at her. Her glare intensified and his shameless grin magnified.  
  
When he smiled at her like that, Evelyn could not help but forgive any transgression. And besides that, the thought of him making love to her in every room in the house was an exceptionally alluring notion. Evelyn's scowl quickly turned into a smile and she was thankful that she had fallen in love the scoundrel.  
  
Rick knew from the smile on her face that making love in every room in the house was defiantly doable. And he was ready then and there to get started.  
  
"Instead of going back to the museum, why don't you come home with me so we can try out the couch" he leered at her.  
  
"I've got important work to do Mr. O'Connell."  
  
"What's more important than you. Me. And a nice sturdy couch?"  
  
"I've got an important shipment of artifacts coming in this afternoon. And besides that" Evelyn smiled. "Jonathan may be home."  
  
"I'll take his key and kick him out."  
  
"That wouldn't be nice. And don't you have work to do?"  
  
"Yeah, but it can wait."  
  
"Well mine can't" Evelyn said, with a bit of regret.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"Maybe tonight then?" Rick grinned.  
  
"Maybe" Evelyn smiled.  
  
*************************  
  
After they left the café, Rick took Evelyn by the doctor's quarters. After explaining to him her fits of crying, the doctor informed both Evelyn and Rick that expectant mothers not only went through physical changes but psychological changes as well. Mood swings were not uncommon and where a symptom of the changes the body was going through.   
  
Rick was relieved and thanked the doctor. Evelyn was relieved also to know why she was acting so uncharacteristically. But she was also saddened because she was reminded that her mother, who could have told her what was happening to her, was not here to share in the birth of her child.  
  
As they drove back to the museum, Evelyn was quiet and Rick noticed a tear as it slid down her cheek.  
  
"Hey" he said as he caught the tear with his finger. "What wrong now?"  
  
Evelyn sniffled then wiped the tear that had fallen on the other cheek.  
  
"It's at times like these" she said quietly. "That I miss mother the most."  
  
Rick did not know quite what to say so he just took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. They rode the rest of the way to the museum without a word, holding hands. 


	19. Fluttering

Crying.   
  
It seemed to Rick that that was all Evelyn had been doing lately. And crying for what? Hell, he did not know and for the life of him, he could not figure it out.   
  
She cried because one shoe was here and the other shoe was there. Because her toast was not brown enough. Because her toast was a little burned. Because the sun was shining. Because the sun was not shining. Because it needed to rain. Because it was raining.  
  
Whatever the situation, Evelyn found a reason to cry. Rick wondered how long her crying-for-absolutely-no-good-reason spells would go on. He began to wonder how long he could put up with walking on eggshells around her, never knowing when she would erupt into tears. And the moment he wondered, he knew he could put up with it forever. Because he loved her.  
  
"I'm being silly I know" Evelyn sniffled and pulled Rick from his musings. "I'm being silly" she said as she lifted her head from his chest. "Aren't I?" she tilted her head back and looked up at him with teary eyes.  
  
'Yes you are' his mind said.  
  
"Well..." Rick looked down at her, not wanting to be too blunt with her in her current state.  
  
"You think I'm being silly" Evelyn whimpered in an accusing tone and Rick knew she was getting ready to cry again.  
  
"I didn't say that sweetheart" he said as he rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.  
  
"Yes you did" she said in a pitiful voice as she pulled away from his embrace and took a step backwards.  
  
"All I said was 'Well'" Rick defended.  
  
"You were supposed to say you didn't think I was being silly" she said in a shaky voice and started crying again.  
  
"You aren't being silly" he said as he pulled his weeping wife back into his arms.  
  
"Now you're lying" she pouted as she went into his arms.  
  
Rick could do nothing but laugh.  
  
"You THINK I'm being silly" she continued. "You're not suppose to think that but you do. And I KNOW I'm being silly. I just can't seem to help myself."  
  
"You aren't silly" he said in a loving voice then squeezed her and kissed her forehead.  
  
"Yes I am" she said in a muffled voice as she buried her face in his chest.  
  
Rick chuckled to himself again and did not response.  
  
"I am aren't I?" Evelyn prodded. She needed to hear him reassure her she was NOT being silly.  
  
"Yes you are" he said with mirth in his voice, knowing that there was now winning with Evelyn.  
  
"I knew it!" Evelyn bellowed and began crying uncontrollable, forgetting that she had just called him a liar for telling her she was NOT silly.  
  
"Evy..." Rick said in a soothing voice as he rubbed her hair.  
  
"I've turned into a weeping nincompoop. A sniveling simpleton" Evelyn bemoaned. "That's what you think isn't it!" she said in a hurt and accusing tone.  
  
"Evelyn" he said pulled her away from his chest. "I agree" he said as he looked down into her crying eyes. "You are a weeping nincompoop" he said and smiled at Evelyn's jaw drop. "And you are a sniveling simpleton" he laughed at Evelyn's gasp. "But..." he said sweetly. "You're MY weeping nincompoop" he said tenderly. "You're MY sniveling simpleton. And you're perfect."  
  
Evelyn's bottom lip began to quiver with emotion and her tears got even heavier. She was acting like a nitwit. An absolute idiot. But in spite of that, her husband thought she was perfect.  
  
"Have I kissed you today?" Rick asked.  
  
"No" Evelyn sobbed in a pouting voice as she continued to cry.  
  
Rick grinned as he leaned down and touched her lips with his.  
  
"I can't believe you called me a nincompoop and a simpleton" Evelyn said after the kiss ended and Rick was wiping her tears.  
  
"I didn't call you that" Rick grinned.  
  
"You did!" Evelyn said, feigning indignation.  
  
"You called you that. I only agreed" he said and leaned in to cover her lips again before she could argue.  
  
*************************  
  
By the end of her third month, Evelyn's morning sickness had subsided greatly. She still had moments of queasiness but fresh air and a hot cup of tea would settle her. Her excitable eruptions, Jonathan's name for her crying spells, began to subside also and she began to settle back into her normal self.  
  
It was the middle of her fourth month when Evelyn took note of the pooch in her belly. She woke up late and Rick had already left. She lay in bed waiting to see if she would have an attack of nausea. When she did not, Evelyn threw off the covers, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up.  
  
From the bed, Evelyn looked at herself in the dresser mirror and thought about what Rick had said to the previous night. He told her that she was changing. Her body was changing and he liked it. Her hair was growing longer, felt thicker and looked shinier. Her skin was clearer and softer. And her breasts. They were growing fuller, heavier. And they were becoming more of a mouthful and that, he told her, was what he liked best.   
  
As Evelyn sat looking at herself, she could not see any changes so she got up from the bed and walked over to the mirror. Her hair was growing longer and now that she thought about it, it was becoming thicker too. She was not sure what Rick was talking about when he mentioned her clearer, softer skin. It looked that same to her.  
  
And her body, Evelyn thought as she stepped from the dresser mirror and went and stood in front the full-length mirror. Her chest did seem a bit larger and they were becoming more tender. And her stomach, she thought as she turned sideways and pulled her gown tautly over her it, was a bit larger. Evelyn gazed in the mirror at the slightly protruding bulge. She rubbed her hand over the oval mass and wondered if she carried a boy or girl.   
  
Rick wanted a boy. A little girl, he said, would be tougher to raise and he did not want the headache of chasing off all the good for nothing little boys that would undoubtedly be sniffing around after his daughter. Evelyn laughed and said she did not mind one way or the other. A boy or girl, it did not matter, as long as the baby was healthy.  
  
"So" Evelyn said to her belly as she continued to rub it. "Are you mummy's little prince or mummy's little princess?"  
  
Evelyn stood in the mirror for many minutes daydreaming about her baby before her stomach reminded her it was time for breakfast.  
  
*************************  
  
That afternoon, Evelyn was in her office at the museum trying to concentrate on the catalog of the museum's antique pieces. She could not focus and felt quite wanton because she kept thinking about her husband - and the couch. She imagined herself naked, him naked. She was lying on the couch. One foot hung over the back of couch. The other foot rested on the floor. And Rick... she imagined him settled between her legs, touching her and making her squirm with ecstasy. She could not get the image out of her mind and frankly she did not want to. What she wanted was to make her vision real.   
  
Evelyn blushed at her thoughts. She was now quite comfortable sharing intimacy with Rick but to be the aggressor was another issue. What would he think of her if she threw herself at him? What if he rejected her invitation? She would be mortified if he thought her a hussy for thinking and acting so brazenly. And she would die of embarrassment if he refused her.   
  
But then she considered the object of her desire. Rick O'Connell. Rick O'Connell refuse love-making?   
  
Evelyn let out a very unladylike snort at the thought. One thing that she had learned about her husband and was quite pleased with was his seemingly insatiable libidinous appetite...   
  
Evelyn was pulled from her thoughts when she felt an odd feeling. It was in the pit of her belly. She had never felt it before and wondered what it could be. As she wondered, she rested her hand on her stomach.   
  
The odd feeling fluttered again and Evelyn's eyes became wide with amazement. She felt the slightest of movements. Tears formed in Evelyn's eyes as the revelation hit her fully - a baby was growing inside her. Her baby was growing inside of her. Rick's baby was growing inside of her. Their baby was growing and moving inside of her.  
  
A feeling of love overwhelmed her. The love she felt for Rick astonished her at times, but this feeling of love was different. It was a mother's love. A love that could not be described with words. A love that would continued to love in spite of what a child does. A love that would bear all things. A love that would endure all things. A love that would never give up. A love that would never fade. A love that would never com to an end. A love that would never fail.   
  
Evelyn's tears ran down her cheeks as she felt her unborn child.  
  
An innocent baby, her innocent baby, needed her protection, her nurturing, her guidance, her kind words, her loving, tender hand. At that moment, Evelyn felt motherhood and her tears turned into cries of joy. She was going to be a mother. That realization had not fully sunk in until now.  
  
Jonathan, who had been instructed by Rick to pick Evelyn up for lunch and take her to her favorite café, walked in at that moment and let out a dreaded sigh. He thought Evelyn's excitable eruptions had passed.   
  
"Having an excitable eruption old mum?" Jonathan said as he walked over to his sister. "Is everything alright old mum?" Jonathan asked with concerned when Evelyn only stared at him and cried. "What's wrong Evy?" he reached for her hand and noticed her other hand resting on her belly. "Is the tot ok?"   
  
Evelyn shook her head 'yes' and Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
"What's the matter then old mum? I thought you were done with your excitable eruptions" he jokingly.  
  
"Where... is... Rick?" she said in between her soft sobs.  
  
"O'Connell sent me to take you to the café. He's going to meet you there."   
  
"Where... is... he?" she whimpered. She wanted him to be the first to know the she felt their baby was moving.  
  
"He's down at the docks" Jonathan said.  
  
"Take me down there."  
  
"He told me to take you to the café. He's meeting you there café..." Jonathan said again.  
  
"Jonathan" Evelyn sobbed in an authoritative voice. "I... want... to go to the docks" she said.  
  
Evelyn was practically bursting with excitement and she wanted to share her excitement with Rick.  
  
"Whatever you say old mum" Jonathan said. "Are you SURE you're alright?" he asked when she continued to cry.  
  
Evelyn shook her head 'yes' as she stood up, her hand still on her stomach.   
  
"Alright then" Jonathan said as he held out his arm to her. "To the docks we go."  
  
As she walked arm and arm with her brother out of the office, Evelyn knew everything was all right, that her baby was all right. Just last week she had been reading her mother's journal entry when her mother was about 4 months along carrying her.   
  
'I felt you move for the first time today. Words are beyond me to express what I feel for you. 'I love you' seems so inefficient at the moment. But no other words come to me so those small words will have to do. I love you child.'  
  
**********************  
  
They had been driving around for several minutes before Evelyn spotted Rick.   
  
"There he is" she said happily when she saw Rick watching as a new automobile was being lowered from the ship.  
  
"Evy!" Jonathan yelled. "Will you wait until I STOP the car!" he yelled when she opened the car door before he had come to a complete stop.  
  
"Rick!" Evelyn called out as she ran toward him.  
  
Rick turned at the sound of her voice and frowned. Jonathan was supposed to take Evelyn to the café. What was she doing at the docks? Was something wrong? Was something wrong with the kid?  
  
"Evelyn, what..." Rick said, thinking the worse.  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said with excitement as she grabbed his hand. "The baby..." she said as she placed his hand on her stomach. "I felt the baby move" she smiled up at him with tears in her eyes.  
  
Rick stood there, his hand on Evelyn's stomach, waiting. And waiting. And waiting.  
  
"Can you feel it?" Evelyn said in a thrilled voice when she felt a flutter.  
  
Rick shook his head in the negative and frowned. He did not feel a thing but Evelyn was ecstatic.  
  
"There he goes again" she said excitedly as her smiled grew brighter. "He's moving!"   
  
"Evy, I can't feel a thing" Rick said, wondering if his wife was imagining things.  
  
"You can't?" she said, disappointment evident in her voice.  
  
"O'Connell" Lewis Burgess called out.  
  
Lewis Burgess was an American also and Rick had met him while in the French Legion. They crossed paths again when Rick, Evelyn and Jonathan returned from Hamanaptra for the second time and they quickly resumed their acquaintance. Both were interested in automobiles and formed a tentative business relationship.  
  
Rick turned at the call of his fellow American but kept his hand on Evelyn's stomach. Lewis wondered why O'Connell was standing there with his hand on his wife's stomach. He thought Mrs. O'Connell was a very nice lady but he did not quite understand O'Connell's total infatuation with her. Love was a foreign language to him and one he did not care to learn.   
  
"Afternoon Mrs. O'Connell" Lewis tipped his hat and gave her a sincere smile.  
  
"Good afternoon Mr. Burgess" Evelyn smiled back.  
  
"O'Connell, I need your Hancock on this invoice" he said as he handed Rick the invoice and quill.  
  
After Rick signed the invoice, they talked business for a brief moment before Lewis turned to leave.  
"Have a good afternoon Mrs. O'Connell" Lewis tipped his hat again.  
  
"Same to you Mr. Burgess" Evelyn smiled.  
  
When Rick turned back to Evelyn she looked up at him with a bright smile on her face.  
  
"I felt the baby move" she said in an awed voice. "I really can't explain it" she said, speaking of her emotions. "But... I felt the baby move."  
  
Evelyn was a chatterbox as she and Rick rode to the café. She talked excitedly and nonstop all through lunch. She tried as best she could to express to Rick what she was feeling but always ended her attempts of expression with 'I felt the baby move'.  
  
Rick felt happiness because Evelyn was so happy. He felt excited because she was excited. He fell in love her with all over again because she was so ecstatic, so full of joy just because she 'felt the baby move'.  
  
Though Rick was happy and excited because she was happy and excited, he did not comprehend WHY she was so happy and excited. She 'felt the baby move' she had told me about a hundred times, but he could not understand why that was so exciting.  
  
In fact, though he KNEW Evelyn was pregnant and he was beginning to see changes in her body, as he sat across the table from her and watched her happiness and excitement, he felt as if he were missing out on something. He felt a bit jealous because it had become obvious the Evelyn was more attached to the baby and it was so real to her.  
  
But to Rick, the baby was... it was there but... he did not feel any of closeness that Evelyn felt. He felt almost unattached and that made him feel like a jackass.  
  
"Instead of going back to the docks, why don't you come home with me..." Evelyn said in a shy, quite voice.  
  
Rick was immediately pulled from his thoughts at the tone in Evelyn's voice. If he did not know better, he would swear his sexually timid little wife was inviting him home for afternoon rendezvous. And when he looked into her eyes, he knew that's exactly what she was proposing.  
  
"Waiter" Rick called out as he walked past their table. "We're ready for the check."  
  
"Yes sir" the waiter said and hurried off.  
  
"An afternoon with you huh?" Rick grinned tenderly.  
  
"Yes" Evelyn smiled shyly.  
  
"Wouldn't pass it up for nothing." 


	20. Mr Libido Meets Mrs Libido

AJ Mackey  
Your review gave me the title for this chapter. Thanks :)  
  
mildredthefish  
I did sort of drop Jonathan out of the picture in ch 19. I guess I just wanted him to fade away in all of Evy's excitement about feeling the baby move. Jonathan lives with Rick and Evy but I guess he's the roommate that rarely there.  
  
Thanks to you all for your reviews and for coming back and checking in with P2P to see what's gonna happen next.  
  
Hope you enjoy :fingers crossed:  
  
  
  
"And where do you think you're going?" Rick breathed in a husky voice after he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her backside into his frontside.  
  
"Upstairs" Evelyn giggled as butterflies began to rumble in her stomach.  
  
"The couch is down here" he said, his voice dripping with eroticism, before lips began to suckle her neck.  
  
Evelyn's heart immediately began to pound and her breathing became a bit labored as she recalled her earlier thoughts. Without knowing it, without being told exactly where and exactly how to touch her, Rick would more than consummate her fantasy.   
  
*************************  
  
After consuming her with his mouth, Evelyn felt like a worn out rag but she was not completely satisfied. She wanted the one thing that could touch and fill her most urgent need.  
  
As if he knew her thoughts, Rick lifted himself from the nucleus of her intimate place and let the leg that was perched over the back of the couch side down. Before she knew it, Evelyn was facing Rick, straddling his naked thighs. This was new, she thought, with a grin. He was always in the dominant position but now she was.  
  
Rick pulled her face toward him, parted her lips and searched for her tongue. When he found it, he drew it into his mouth and sucked it like a piece of candy. Evelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts into his chest as the wet kiss became heated.   
  
Rick moved hands moved from the sides of her face to her tender breasts. He gently caressed them until Evelyn moaned into his mouth. His hands moved down her sides and pulled her closer. His lips left hers and traveled down her throat to her breasts. He buried his nose between the soft mounds and inhaled her feminine scent. He then lightly grazed one nipple with his nose before using the tip of his tongue to tease it.  
  
"Rick" she moaned as she wrapped her arms around his head and held him in place.  
  
After attending to each tender breast, Rick moved one hand to her sensitive bud. He used his other hand to pull her head down to his lips again. His fingers began to move in a rhythmic motion as his tongue did the same. Evelyn ran her fingers through his hair as she moaned into his mouth. As he brought her to climax, Evelyn held him tighter and kissed him deeper in order to keep from crying out in ecstasy.   
  
"OH! Rick" she whispered into his mouth as her tremors subsided.  
  
"Touch me, Evelyn" he breathed hoarsely into her mouth as he grabbed her hand and placed it on his manhood.   
  
Evelyn was too engulfed in their lovemaking to be shy about touching him. His smooth hardness startled her but she felt a sense of power as she closed her small hand around him. Rick groaned and Evelyn was surprised at his reaction to her simple touch.  
  
"Damn it! EVELYN!" Rick said through gritted teeth as Evelyn slowly began to stroke him. "You don't know... how long... I've waited for this!"  
  
Again, Evelyn was surprised that her simple touch gave him so much pleasure. Any coyness remaining seemed to fly away as she smiled and sensually fondled the length of him. It was not too long before Rick was ready to spill over.  
  
"DAMN Evy!" he said with great intensity. "I gotta have you... NOW!"   
  
Rick put his hands beneath her armpits and lifted her slightly.   
  
"OH!" Evelyn exclaimed as she felt his manhood invading her.   
  
The sensation felt good, so good, Evelyn thought dreamily as she settled her hands on his broad shoulders and slowly slid down his shaft. Once he was firmly embedded in her, Evelyn did not know what to do next. As if in answer to her unasked question, Rick began to guide her atop him and it did not take her long to catch on. She rocked backward. She rocked forward. She moved up. She moved down.   
  
BACKWARD and FORTHWARD, UP and Down.  
BACKWARD and FORTHWARD, UP and Down.  
  
Rick's guttural moans of pleasure encouraged Evelyn. The intensity of her motions increased as she sought to give him as much pleasure as he had given her.  
  
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.  
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.  
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.  
BACKWARD, FORTHWARD, UP, Down.  
  
"EVELYN" Rick groaned through clinched teeth as she brought him near ecstasy.  
  
"I.. love you" she moaned in his hear as she rode him hard.  
  
Rick was pushed over the edge of ecstasy and immediately spilled into her. As his seed oozed out of him and into her, Rick thought he had died and gone to heaven.   
  
******************************  
  
The next morning, Rick woke up in heaven.  
  
Rick was snuggled against her back and Evelyn turned until she faced him. She smiled at him as she laid her hand on his cheek. Her body began to tingle as she remembered his sensual, loving touches of the day before. Evelyn moved her face close to his and kissed his lips. Rick did not budge. He was dead to the world and to Evelyn's soft kisses.  
  
Evelyn pushed on Rick's shoulder until he lay on his back. She boldly climbed on top of and straddled him. She grinned as she thought of how she would wake up her sleeping like the dead husband. She leaned over and kissed the tip of his nose.  
  
"Rick" she called out softly, then kissed his left cheek.  
  
"Rick" she kissed his right cheek.  
  
"Rick" she kissed his Adam's apple.  
  
Her kisses and soft calls to him were not working and Evelyn wondered what had gotten into her to make her act so wantonly. She thought about it for only a brief moment and then threw caution and timidity to the wind and stalwartly moved lower to his torso. She placed a trail of kisses down the center of his chest then moved to suckle his right nipple. She moved her tongue back and forth until the nipple was erect, then she moved to the left one. Rick still did not budge. Evelyn kissed and nibbled her way over his stomach. When she made her way to his navel, she boldly darted her tongue in and out.  
  
Evelyn was getting more anxious for Rick to wake up. Her sensitive breasts were lightly pressed against him and were caressed by his chest as she slid her way back up his body. The sensation she felt was almost as good as when he caressed them with his lips and tongue.  
  
"Rick" Evelyn called out a little louder as she slowly kissed and nibbled her way back up to his lips. "Rick" she kissed his lips. "Rick."  
  
Evelyn kissed his lips once more then sat up and looked down at her handsome, sleeping husband. She lifted herself slightly off him and pulled her nightgown over her head and threw it on the floor. She moved off of him, striped off her undergarments and moved back over and straddled his thighs. She boldly slid her warm hand inside the slit of his underpants and began to rub him to life as she watched his sleeping face. As he grew harder in her hand, Rick began to stir.  
  
"ah" Evelyn heard a faint moan and increased the intensity of her caresses. For several minutes, Evelyn moved her hand over his member, bringing him to life.  
  
"Evelyn" he called out in his sleep as a smile formed on his face.   
  
He was ready and Evelyn moved over him. She settled her womanhood over his manhood and rubbed herself against him for several minutes. Evelyn began to feel herself moisten and moaned his name.  
  
"Rick" she sighed as she kissed his neck. She wanted him completely awake when their bodies joined.  
  
"Evelyn" he moaned but still did not fully wake up.  
  
Evelyn did not want to wait a minute longer to be filled with him so she lifted her hips, grabbed him and guided him into her body.   
  
"AH" Evelyn sighed as he filled her to complete.   
  
After a few moments of savoring being invaded by her husband, Evelyn began to move up and down and back and forth. Rick, still half-asleep, put his hands on her hips and moaned his pleasure. Evelyn steadily increased the speed of her movements and her groans of pleasure increased in volume.  
  
"AAHH!!" Evelyn cried out and Rick joined in when they reached to peak of pleasure.  
  
Evelyn fell on Rick's chest and turned her face into his cheek. Rick wrapped his arms around Evelyn while they caught their breath.  
  
*******************  
  
"So" Rick grinned at Evelyn when they were both lying on their sides and facing each other. "You like being on top don't ya?"  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said in an embarrassed voice. "You shouldn't speak of such things" she said, feeling the blush rise to her face. "Especially in the light of day."   
  
To act like a wild woman was one thing. To talk about acting like a wild woman was quite another thing.  
  
"This from the woman who did to me what you did to me yesterday on the couch. This from the woman who did what you did to me just a few minutes ago..."  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said, her cheeks flushed. "You're embarrassing me" she said as she averted her eyes from his teasing gaze.  
  
"No need to be embarrassed" Rick said tenderly as he tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. "I like that wild woman in you. I like her a lot."  
  
Though still embarrassed, Evelyn could not help but smile. She liked the wild woman in her too. Liked her a lot. 


	21. Bump In The Night

The next month and a half were wildly heavenly for Rick. Evelyn had not only settled back into her old self but her newly discovered wild side emerged quite frequently. She woke him up each morning with a kiss and morning ride. More often than not, they would share lunch then go home for a bit of frolicking before going back to work. Rick was pleasantly surprised one afternoon when he came by the museum to take Evelyn to lunch. She locked the office door and told him she did not want to wait for after lunch. And she did not have to wait. Right there in the office, Rick gave her exactly what she wanted.  
  
Rick, especially his libido was happy, very happy with this new Evelyn in spite of the fact that she testing his stamina. After a couple of weeks with this new woman, Rick, though he would never admit it openly, was in a dilemma. His little wife. His pregnant wife. His pregnant, little wife was wearing him out, draining him dry. His prim, proper, British born wife had dethroned his masculinity. He, or rather his oversized libido, was no longer King of Copulation. He was no longer boss of the bedroom. His very pregnant, very prim, very proper, little wife was now perched on the throne. She was Queen of the Bedroom and anywhere else that was a convenient place to make love. Neither his libido nor his pride would ever admit to this particular oust, so he dug his sexual heels in and held on for the ride.   
  
The ride continued for the next two weeks, then one morning Rick had to wake up on his own. Evelyn was not in bed and he found her already downstairs eating breakfast.  
  
"Hey" he said as he walked into the kitchen and found her at the table eating toast and reading a book.  
  
"Good morning" Evelyn looked up from the book she was reading as he walked over to her. "Would you like breakfast?" she asked after Rick bent down and kissed her.  
  
"I can crack a couple of eggs" he answered as he walked over to the icebox.  
  
"Rick" Evelyn said after a few moments.  
  
"Huh?" Rick said as he cracked an egg.  
  
"An excavation team..."  
  
"No"  
  
"Is going to... No?" Evelyn turned and looked at his back.  
  
"No" Rick said again as the egg hit the frying pan.  
  
"What do you mean 'No'?" Evelyn said, a bit perturbed.  
  
"No. Nope. Nada. That's a negative. It's not happening. No."  
  
"And what, may I ask, is the question?" Evelyn said tightly, her ire rising that he assumed she was going to 'ask' his permission to go on the excavation.  
  
"You're not going on any excavation anywhere."  
  
"And who may I ask died and left you King, Emperor and Ruler of the Universe?" she said, even more perturbed that his assumption was accurate.  
  
She was going to ask, or more precisely, tell him about the excavation and her plans to go.   
  
"I don't know who died but I'm king, emperor and ruler of the O'Connell household" he said and heard Evelyn's sharp intake of breath. "And you're not traipsing over some hot ass desert to go digging around some ancient city."  
  
Evelyn snapped back around in her seat as smoke shot out of her ears. She tapped her foot vigorously as she tried to calm down. She really did not want to argue with him. She knew he would be resistant to her going on the excavation. She also knew that an all out verbal war would only drive him to use brut strength and locked doors. But, she thought, she could reason with him and help him come around to her sensible way of thinking.  
  
By the time Rick sat down across from her, Evelyn was still fuming at his highhandedness and she glared angrily at him. But... the excavation was more appealing than cutting him down to size.   
  
"I am going to be reasonable about this" Evelyn said tightly after taking a few deep mental breaths. "Are you?"  
  
"Yeah" he said. "You're not going."  
  
"And when, pray tell, did I ASK for your permission?!" Evelyn bit out.  
  
"You're pregnant Evy" Rick said before filling his mouth with scrambled eggs.  
  
"Really" Evelyn said sarcastically.  
  
"And I don't want you anywhere near any goddamn curses!" he said rather vehemently after swallowing his eggs.  
  
"Rick" Evelyn began, her attitude immediately softening because she heard the fear laced between his words. "What are the chances of something like that happening again?"  
  
"I'm through taking chances Evy" Rick said firmly. "And I'm sure as hell not taking any chances with you."  
  
"You won't be taking any chances..."  
  
"NO!" Rick said forcible. "Hell No! I'll give you anything in the world Evy. Anything but that. I can't lose you Evy" he said softly as he looked at her with mist in his eyes. "Not now."  
  
How could she argue with him when she heard the overwhelming love in his words and saw it in his eyes? Though he never wanted to talk about her near sacrifice, it was now evident to Evelyn that Rick had not gotten over the ordeal and was still gripped with the fear of her dying. She knew her husband well enough now to know that when he was ready, he would talk about it, but not a minute sooner.  
  
Evelyn would drop the excavation matter - for the time being. She would give him a day or two before informing him that she was NOT asking his permission for anything. And then she would broach the subject again.  
  
**********************  
  
Evelyn was perfectly healthy and the doctor had said she could continue her normal activity. Daily, she sweetly reminded Rick of those facts but after a week of browbeating him with her feminine ways, Rick's answer was still a resounding 'No'. Evelyn did finally but grudgingly admit to herself that it probably was not a good idea to be 'traipsing over some hot ass desert' in her present condition. There would be more excavations she conceded. And after the baby was born and was old enough, they would go on family excavations.   
  
Rick was perfectly comfortable as king, emperor and ruler of the O'Connell household. After a week of Evelyn's womanly wiles, his answer was still 'No'. And he meant it. He did not care how healthy she was. And he was sure that when the doctor said she could continue her normal activities, he did not mean 'traipsing over some hot ass desert'. And besides that, he was terrified. Terrified that something would happen to Evelyn if she went snooping around the ruins of ancient Egypt. He did not trust her 'innocent curiosity' or as he put it, her damned nosiness. It would get them into trouble again. He knew it. But he would keep that trouble at bay for as long as he could.  
  
The week long tug-of-war over the excavation gave Rick a chance to rest because he and Evelyn had not made love since the day before she brought the subject up. Now, a week later, he was ready to jump back in the saddle. That night, when he climbed in bed and reached for his wife, he hoped for a nice romp...  
  
"Just hold me" Evelyn told him as she turned in his arms and snuggled against his chest.  
  
Rick was disappointed, very disappointed. But he did as his wife asked and held her. As he lay there listening to her light snores and feeling her inhale and exhale, he realized that holding her in the quiet night was just as satisfying as making love. His libido would not agree with that but his heart and soul knew that holding her close was something he would treasure for the rest of his life.   
  
Just as Rick was dosing off, Evelyn mumbled something then turned away from him. After she settled her backside snuggly against his groin, Rick laid his hand across her midsection and let his eyelids drop as he thought fleetingly about the hard little mound that was her stomach. In the next instance, his eyes shot opened in shock.  
  
"What the hell..." he murmured as he snatched his hand away from her stomach.  
  
"It's the baby" Evelyn whispered groggily as she grabbed his hand and settled it back on her stomach. "He's moving."  
  
'It's the baby', Rick thought as a cord of emotion ran from the movement beneath his hand, up his arm to interweave itself between the very fibers of his soul. The baby. Evy's baby. His baby. Their baby. He was moving. He had quickly been transferred from the abstract to the very real. And he had fully captured his father's heart.  
  
Rick's eyes began to mist as a new kind of love spilled from his heart for the baby that was his. An indescribable feeling filled him from head to toe. No longer did he feel detached. For the first time, Rick felt a connection, a bond. An unbreakable bond with his child.   
  
And he cried.  
  
As a big teardrop slid down his cheek, Rick knew what Evelyn felt that day she came to the docks so excited about feeling the baby move. Now he did not have to feel jealous of her and the baby. Now he knew exactly what she felt. Now he had his own special moment with his child.  
  
Another teardrop fell and Rick felt like an oversized wimp.  
  
Here he was a man who had been hardened by life's circumstances. A man who took the knocks life gave and gave knocks in return. A battle tough ex officer of the French Foreign Legion who had faced death many times.   
  
Here he was a hardened, battle tough soldier who had been brought to his knees by the simple movements of his unborn child.   
  
For the first time, Rick wondered what would his kid look like. Would he look like him or would he look like Evelyn? God, he hoped the kid would not inherit Jonathan's ugly mug.  
  
But what if he is a girl?  
  
Rick prayed she would look like Evelyn and not him. His face on a woman would not be a pretty sight. If his kid was a girl, he was sure she would drive him crazy just like her mother did. And, he thought as he smiled, he would be just as crazy about her as he was about her mother.  
  
Rick did not know how long he lay there feeling his child move before he slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep. His last thought was how lucky he was to have everything he ever wanted in the palm in his hand. 


	22. Adara?

Sorry you all about the delay. Things came up and then I just could not seem to get my thoughts on paper. This chapter is a bit short but I wanted to post something. I hope I have broken thru the writer's block.  
  
And and always, I hope you like...  
  
  
  
'Mademoiselle Maureen's Baby Boutique'  
  
"Hello, hello" the woman said cheerfully with a French accent.  
  
"Hello" Evelyn smiled at the Frenchwoman as she stepped inside the boutique.   
  
"I am Mademoiselle Maureen. How may I help you?"  
  
"I'm looking for baby things" Evelyn stated the obvious as her eyes scanned the boutique.   
  
"Ah!" Mademoiselle Maureen said, recognizing the uncertainty in Evelyn's gaze. "So this is your first child?"  
  
"Yes" Evelyn smiled.  
  
"And you have no idea where to begin?"  
  
"Yes" Evelyn said in a slightly pitiful voice.  
  
Mademoiselle Maureen laughed as she beckoned Evelyn further into the boutique. Evelyn spent most of the morning in the boutique being advised by Mademoiselle Maureen on what things she needed. Most of the items Evelyn chose where there in the boutique but some things had to be shipped in.   
  
"When your order arrives" Mademoiselle Maureen said as she walked Evelyn to the door. "I will ring you."  
  
"Thank you so much Maureen" Evelyn said gratefully.  
  
"I'm always happy to help" Mademoiselle Maureen smiled warmly. "Especially new mothers."  
  
When Evelyn opened the door, Rick was outside waiting in the car. She smiled when she saw him then turned back to Mademoiselle Maureen.  
  
"Thank you again Maureen."  
  
"You're welcome Evelyn."  
  
When Rick saw Evelyn coming out of the boutique, he got out of the car.  
  
"You spent all morning here and didn't buy anything?" Rick asked as walked up to his empty handed wife.  
  
"Maureen, the owner, has to order some things and when they arrived, she is going to ring me. Oh Rick" Evelyn said in an excited voice as they walked toward the car. "I can't wait for you to see the things I picked out for the baby" she said as he opened the car door. "Everything is just so precious" she continued once he got in the car. "And so tiny. It's hard to believe that I was once that small. That YOU" she laughed as she turned her head and looked at him. "Were that small."  
  
Evelyn cheerfully chatted all the way to the museum about the adorable baby items. Rick lovingly listened, though he did not understand her utter excitement about a bunch of baby things.  
  
It had taken a month but Mademoiselle Maureen finally rang Evelyn with news that her order was ready. Evelyn was as excited as a child on Christmas Eve and she could hardly wait until the next day to pick up the order. The next morning Rick had to get down to the docks, so Jonathan drove Evelyn to pick up the order.  
  
"My god Evy! How much did you buy?" Jonathan asked when they walked into the boutique and he saw Evelyn's order piled up next to the door.  
  
Evelyn ignored her brother as she walked over to Mademoiselle Maureen.  
  
"Thank you some much for all your help" Evelyn said to Mademoiselle Maureen as she pulled out the pounds to pay her.  
  
"It was my pleasure" Mademoiselle Maureen smiled.  
  
Evelyn and Maureen chatted while Jonathan loaded the car. Once he was done, the women said their good-byes and Jonathan drove Evelyn and her order back home. When they got home, Jonathan and Evelyn unloaded the car and placed the baby things in the sitting room. Evelyn wanted to wait for Rick to come home before opening the packages.  
  
Jonathan drove Evelyn back into town to the museum. When it neared lunchtime, she rang Rick at his dock office. Mr. Burgess informed Evelyn that Rick was not in the office and he did not know where he had gone. After she ended her short conversation with Mr. Burgess she went looking for Hamid.  
  
"Hamid" Evelyn said when she found him. "Would you mind terribly giving me a ride the café? I am starving and I can't get a hold of my husband."  
  
"Oh I do not mind Evelyn" Hamid said. "I too am hungry."   
  
After sharing lunch at the café, Hamid drove Evelyn to the docks.  
  
"I'll only be a moment Hamid" Evelyn said as she got out of the car.  
  
"Hello Mr. Burgess" Evelyn said when she walked into the office. "Is my husband around?"  
  
"Afternoon Mrs. O'Connell" Mr. Burgess smiled. "He hasn't come back yet."  
  
"Do you know where he went?"  
  
"No ma'am I don't."  
  
"OK then" Evelyn said, a little disappointed. "I brought this sandwich for him. I'll just leave it on his desk."  
  
Evelyn walked over to Rick's desk and set the bag down. Her eyes scanned the desk and she took noticed of his barely legible scribble that was scrawled on a piece of parchment.  
  
'Adara 12:00'  
  
Adara? Who was this Adara?  
  
Evelyn frowned as she continued to stare at the note.  
  
Adara? 12:00?   
  
It was near noon when she had called looking for Rick. Had he left to go see this Adara? Who was this Adara? It was now just past 1:00. Was he now with this Adara? Who was this Adara?  
  
Adara? Who was this Adara?  
  
"Good day Mr. Burgess" Evelyn said absentmindedly as she walked out of the office.  
  
Evelyn was silent as she and Hamid rode back to the museum. Her thoughts began to torment her and for the rest of the afternoon, she could barely concentrate on work.  
  
Where is Rick?  
  
Who is this Adara?  
  
Is he with her?  
  
Is she pretty?  
  
Is she slim?  
  
Why wasn't Rick at the docks? He should be at the docks.  
  
Had she become unattractive to him because her midsection was expanding?  
  
Was he being unfaithful to her at this very moment?  
  
Why was she thinking like this? He loved her. She knew it!  
  
Who is this Adara?  
  
Where was Rick at 12:00? Where was he at 1:00?  
  
Was he with her? Was he with this Adara?  
  
Evelyn berated herself for thinking the worst. She trusted Rick but those nagging thoughts continued to come.   
  
What if...  
  
No! Evelyn shook herself mentally. She loved Rick. She trusted Rick. And she would believe the best about him. No matter what.  
  
'But where was he?' a small voice kept asking. 'Where was he?' 


	23. Surprise!

When it was near time for Rick to pick her up, Evelyn decided that she would just trust him. She would not let a misunderstanding cause another rift between them. He was out when she rang for him and he was out when she stopped by the docks. End of story. If he needed to tell her about 'Adara 12:00', she trusted that he would. After all, he had never lied to her before.  
  
"Ready Evy" Jonathan said as he walked up to Evelyn.  
  
"Jonathan" Evelyn looked at him as she pushed the book back into its place on the shelf. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her disappointed at seeing him obvious in her tone. Rick was supposed to pick her up today.   
  
"Now what kind of way is that to greet your loving brother?" Jonathan said, trying to sound hurt.  
  
"Where is Rick?" Evelyn asked, her mind immediately recalling 'Adara 12:00'. Where was he?  
  
"He asked me to pick you up" Jonathan said after a brief moment.  
  
"Where is he?" Evelyn asked again.  
  
"How would I know dear sister" Jonathan said as reached out and took her by the arm. "I am here to pick you up and take you home" he said as he started guiding her forward.  
  
"Are you hiding something Jonathan?" Evelyn asked suspiciously.  
  
"Hiding something?" Jonathan said. "Me? Hiding something? No. What would I be hiding?" he asked as they started walking out of the library.  
  
"Where is Rick?" Evelyn asked again.  
  
"Dear sister, I am not his personal secretary."  
  
"You don't know where he is?" Evelyn asked with a hint of worry in her voice.  
  
"No I don't" Jonathan answered.  
  
Evelyn promised herself she would not worry. She promised herself she would not jump to conclusions. She promised herself she would not give in to the insecurities that were now plaguing her.  
  
She promised herself she would trust him. She promised herself she would believe in him.  
  
When Jonathan dropped Evelyn off at home, he told her that he had something to take care of but he would be back for supper. Evelyn walked into the house and headed straight for the kitchen. She needed to keep busy to keep her mind from conjuring up all sorts of imaginations. When she finished supper, Rick still was not home.  
  
Where was he?  
  
Evelyn then went into the sitting room and pulled a book off the shelf. Reading always took her mind off things. Evelyn stared at the same page, the same paragraph, the same sentence, the same word for ten minutes.  
  
"Where is he?!" Evelyn said fretfully as she slammed the book shut and glanced down at her watch.  
  
It was nearly 8:00 and he still was not home. Evelyn picked up the telephone and rang the warehouse. No answer. Evelyn replaced the receiver as a single tear slid down her cheek.   
  
What if something happened to him? What if he was somewhere hurt? Or worse. What if he were somewhere... somewhere dead?  
  
The thought shook Evelyn and in that moment, she would rather he were with another woman than dead. Then she hear a car...  
  
Evelyn hurried over to the window and peeked out. It was him! He was home. He was safe. Evelyn let out a relieved sigh as she stepped from the window. He was safe but... where had he been?  
  
She would not ask, she promised herself as she wrung her hands and paced back and forth. She would wait for him to tell her. And she knew he would tell her... tell her the truth. She would not ask, she would wait... She would not ask, she would wait... She would not ask, she would wait....  
  
"Where have you been?" Evelyn asked in a cracked voice when Rick walked into the sitting room.  
  
"Evy!" Rick rushed toward her when he saw tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong honey?" he asked in an urgent voice once he reached her.  
  
"Where have you been?" Evelyn sobbed.  
  
"Honey what's wrong?" Rick said as he took her into his arms. "I had to drive up to Alexandria. What's wrong honey?" Rick asked again as Evelyn continued to cry.  
  
"Why..." Evelyn said as she pulled away from Rick's embrace and looked up into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to Alexandria?" she said in an accusatory voice. "What were you doing in Alexandria?"  
  
Rick's hesitation gave Evelyn cause to jump to her conclusions.  
  
"Who is Adara?" Evelyn said, her voice shaking with emotion. "Who is she Rick?!"  
  
"Sweetheart..." Rick began.  
  
"Who is she?!" Evelyn demanded, thinking Rick was trying to conjure up a lie to tell her.  
  
"The jewelry's wife."  
  
"The jewelry's wife?" Evelyn said, dumbstruck for a moment.  
  
Rick was committing adultery with a married woman?  
  
"I ah... got a gift for you" he said a little awkwardly.  
  
"Surprise!" Jonathan interrupted them as he walked into the sitting room.  
  
Evelyn wiped her tears as she looked from her husband to her brother. Jonathan was carrying a rocking chair.  
  
"Jonathan" Evelyn said in a surprised voice. She recognized the rocking chair.  
  
"Thought you might like having mother's rocking chair" he smiled at his sister.   
  
"Oh Jonathan!" Evelyn as she walked over to the chair. "I had forgotten all about it" she said as she looked loving at the chair. "I can't believe you did this" she said as she started crying again.  
  
"Ah!" Jonathan said. "It didn't take THAT much effort" he laughed. "I have one more thing for you" he said, then rushed out of the sitting room.  
  
"I can't believe Jonathan did this" Evelyn said as she stared at the chair remembering her mother.   
  
Rick stood smiling and watching how happy Jonathan's surprise made Evelyn.  
  
Moments later, Jonathan came back in with a crib in his arms.  
  
"Jonathan! Is that our bassinet?"  
  
"The one and the same" Jonathan smiled. "Couldn't let the rocking chair leave England without this" he said as he set the bassinet down.  
  
Evelyn walked over to the bassinet and gazed at it's headboard. 'Jonathan' was carved in one corner. 'Evelyn' was carved in the other. Evelyn looked up at Jonathan with more tears in her eyes.  
"Jonathan" she smiled as she went into his arms.  
  
Rick felt a bit awkward watching the siblings and felt a bit jealousy of this special moment between them.  
  
"Thank you" Evelyn whispered.  
  
"It's the least I could do old mum" Jonathan returned with a bit of emotion of his own. "After all you've done for me" he said, his voice becoming shaky. "After all you do for me. It's the least I could do" he said and gave her a loving squeeze. "Alright now" Jonathan said, feeling himself getting even more emotional. "I'm ravenous" he said as he pulled away from Evelyn. "And I have a dinner date with a lovely young lady."  
  
"I thought you said you were having supper here" Evelyn scolded.  
  
"I lied" Jonathan smiled.  
  
"You're hopeless" Evelyn laughed.  
  
"Yes, yes" Jonathan agreed. "Have a good evening you two" he said as he walked out of the sitting room.  
  
"I can't believe Jonathan thought to do this" Evelyn said as she looked from the bassinet to the rocking chair.  
  
"Yeah, he thought of it all by himself" Rick commented. "I ah... I got something for you" Rick said before stepping out of the room.  
  
He returned seconds later and walked over to Evelyn, who was still standing by the bassinet.  
  
"I ah... I was gonna give this to you after the baby was born but..." he said sheepishly as he held out a wrapped box. "I can't be outdone by my nitwit brother-in-law" he said half jokingly, half seriously.   
  
Evelyn looked up at Rick then down at the wrapped box. She reached out and took the box from his hand and opened it. The box held a gold cartouche bracelet and on the bracelet 'I love you' was written in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Evelyn started crying again and walked over to the couch and sat down.  
  
"You don't like it?" Rick said in a worried voice as he followed her to the couch.  
  
Evelyn shook her head and Rick's heart sank. She did not like it.  
  
"It's beautiful" she cried as she looked at it through her tears. "It's beautiful" she said, crying more so now because she had thought him unfaithful.  
  
"I picked it up today from the jewelry's. There's something inscribed on the back" Rick said.  
  
Evelyn turned the bracelet over and read the inscription.  
  
'You hold my heart prisoner. Now. And forever. Rick'  
  
"I'm sorry Rick" Evelyn began to cry uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry."  
  
Rick pulled her into his arms and stroke her hair.  
  
"Honey, you didn't do anything" he said, confused about why she was apologizing.  
  
"I'm horrible!" she bemoaned, feeling guilty.  
  
"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong."  
  
"I'm ashamed to tell you" she sobbingly admitted.  
  
"Sweetheart, you can tell me anything" Rick coaxed her.  
  
Evelyn cried for a few minutes before lifting her head from his shoulder. She wiped her eyes but the tears continued to come.  
  
"Sweetheart" Rick said as he reached up and wiped a tear. "What has got up so upset?"  
  
"I rang you today" Evelyn began. "But Mr. Burgess said you were out. Hamid and I went to the café for lunch and afterwards he drove me to the docks. You still weren't in" she looked up at him. "I saw your note" she continued after a moment. "And I... I thought... I thought you had gone to meet with this Adara woman. I told myself" she said quickly. "That I trusted you, that I believed in you. When you didn't come to pick me up from the museum I thought the worst. I thought you were with this Adara woman" she admitted then started crying again.  
  
"god Evy! I'm sorry" Rick said, pulling Evelyn back into his arms.  
  
Rick was feeling guilty also. If he had not been so stupid all those months ago. If he had not gotten drunk. If he had not gone to that whorehouse.  
  
"What are you sorry for?" she asked in a muffled voice.  
  
"Damn it!" he cursed as he squeezed her tighter. "It's my fault Evy. If I hadn't acted like such a jackass..."  
  
"I should have trusted you" Evelyn said as she lifted her head from his chest. "But... the first chance I get... I think the worst" she lamented. "Can you forgive me?"  
  
"Evy, there's nothing to forgive" Rick said, his guilt mounting. "You had every right..."  
  
"No I didn't" Evelyn cried. "I'm suppose to love you. I'm suppose to trust you..."  
  
"Evy" Rick interrupted her and put his finger up to her lips. "It's OK if you don't trust me. Shush!" he said when she was about to say something. "It's OK. I realize I have to earn your trust again" he said. "And if it takes forever, I'm willing to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you can trust me. You mean everything to me Evy..." he said as he looked deep into her eyes.  
  
"And you mean everything to me" Evelyn said after she moved his finger from her lips. "And you deserve my trust."   
  
"I should have told you I was going to Alexandria" Rick said.  
  
"I should have trusted you" Evelyn said.  
  
The two sat looking at each other, both regretting their actions of the recent and not so recent past.  
  
"I'm so sorry Rick" Evelyn broke the silence.  
  
"Shush" Rick again put his finger to her lips. "You have NOTHING to be sorry for."  
  
Rick looked at her. So grateful that she loved him. So grateful that she was his.  
  
Rick dropped his finger from her lips and lowered his head. He gingerly touched her lips with his and engaged her in a soft, tender kiss. The kiss lasted moment after moment and was gentle and full of love. When the kiss finally ended, one forehead rested against the other and loving eyes looked into loving eyes.  
  
"I can't ever thank you enough for loving me" Rick whispered, his voice flooded with emotion.   
  
Another tear escaped down Evelyn's cheek.   
  
This stubborn, bullheaded, highhanded American who, from the beginning, whisked her off her feet. Who was truly her Knight in Shinning Armor. Who she trusted, yes trusted with her very life and, she realized in that moment, with all her heart. How could she not love him?  
  
"It's my pleasure" she whispered back with a smile.  
  
They shared another kiss before Evelyn asked Rick to put the bracelet on her.  
  
"I love you Evy" Rick said after he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.  
  
"I love you too." 


	24. BIG

It was her eighth month and, as she stood sideways in front of the mirror, Evelyn bemoaned the fact that she had tripled in size. Her tummy seemed to protrude for miles, she thought as she rubbed over the colossal oval mass that was her baby. And her backside. Her backside was of enormous proportions and Evelyn wondered if she would ever get back into her clothes. Her feet were swollen and she could not wear any of her shoes and had to buy a pair of soft, flexible moccasins. Even her fingers were fat. She could no longer wear her wedding band and had to put it on a chain and wear it around her neck.  
  
And to top all that, it was hot. Extremely hot. Rick had installed ventilators in every room and she always had a hand fan and a glass of ice-cold lemonade near. But that did not seem to help. She always felt hot, sweaty and sticky.  
  
Evelyn blew out a heavy breath and looked at her reflection once more before going to take a nice cool spray bath.  
  
**********************************  
  
Waddling.   
  
That was the best way Rick could describe Evelyn. She waddled from the counter to the icebox and back to the counter, he thought as he stood in the kitchen doorway watching her. She was moving slower than normal and it looked as if each step took great effort.   
  
"Hey hon" Rick said as he walked toward her. "Let me cook breakfast this morning."   
  
"YOU cook breakfast?" Evelyn laughed as he kissed her cheek.   
  
Rick's cooking was edible but bland, very bland and she was starving. Only a nice, huge tasty breakfast would satisfy her this morning.  
  
"Yeah" he said as he tried to steer her to the kitchen table.  
  
"I'm hungry Rick."  
  
"I'll crack some eggs..."  
  
"Very hungry" Evelyn said. "And... no offense honey, but I want a good breakfast this morning. And I'd like something more than just eggs."  
  
"Well, tell you what. You sit" he said as he pulled out the kitchen table chair. "Sit" he instrusted her. "And" he continued when she sat down. "You tell me what to do and I'll do it."   
  
Rick proved to be a pretty good cook when told exactly what to do and he and Evelyn shared a nice, filling breakfast.  
  
"Maybe you should stay home today" Rick said as he cleared the table.  
  
"Why?" Evelyn asked.  
  
"I don't know" he said, not wanting to tell her that she was waddling around like a duck. "You look tired."  
  
"I'm feel fine."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive"  
  
For the next three weeks, Evelyn and Rick had the same conversation. He would suggest she stay home. She would ask why. He would say she looked tired. She would say she was fine. He would ask if she were sure. She would answer she was positive.  
  
**********************************  
  
One morning, a week before the baby was due, Rick had come from the bathroom back into the bedroom to find Evelyn sitting on the side of the bed looking at herself in the mirror. She had told him before he went to the bathroom that she was going downstairs to cook breakfast.  
  
"I thought you were going to cook breakfast" he said innocently.   
  
"Is that all you care about?! FOOD!" Evelyn snapped at him.   
  
"What's the matter?" he noticed Evelyn was crying and walked over and sat down next to her. "Are you ok?" he automatically asked as he laid his hand on her stomach.  
  
"I'M A HUGE WHALE!" she cried. "A BIG FAT COW!" she sobbed.  
  
"You aren't that huge" Rick said before thinking.   
  
Evelyn cried harder.  
  
"You aren't huge at all sweetheart" he said, trying to cover his mammoth blunder as he rubbed her stomach.  
  
"Now you're lying!" Evelyn accused. "I am huge!" she lamented.  
  
"Sweetheart..." Rick said, trying to choose his words carefully. "It's ok if you're a little... if you've expanded a bit. I don't mind. Really. After all" he said in a reasonable voice. "you ARE pregnant."  
  
"DON'T you think I know that!" she cried as she glared at him through her tears.  
  
"Of course you know that" Rick readily agreed.   
  
"Look at me" Evelyn moaned as she returned her gaze to the mirror and pushed herself up from the bed and stood. "I've never in all my life seen anybody as fat as I am!!" she lamented as her tears continued.  
  
"You're not fat, honey" Rick stood up and looked at her reflection in the mirror.   
  
"Yes I am!" she insisted.  
  
"No you're not. You're just... just... you're just a little plump" Rick chuckled as he tried teasing her tears away.  
  
"It is not funny!" Evelyn turned to him and frowned. "It's all your fault anyway!"  
  
"What did I do?" Rick asked as he continued to chuckle.  
  
"If you weren't so... so... so demanding" she said as she waddled away from him. "I wouldn't be..." she said as she renewed her crying. "I wouldn't be a fat cow!"   
  
Evelyn's statement was too funny for Rick to hold back anymore. It was also the straw that broke the camel's back. He burst out in merry laugher.  
  
At the sound of such merriment, Evelyn whipped back around as fast as she could.  
  
"IT IS NOT FUNNY!!" she screamed and stomped her swollen foot.  
  
Rick did not agree and continued to laugh. Evelyn waddled back over to the bed, grabbed a pillow and swung at her laughing husband. She hit him dead in his face and Rick fell back on the bed as he continued to laugh. Evelyn moved to the side of the bed in order to reach his face and resumed her attack.  
  
"IT" hit in the face.  
"IS" hit in the face.  
"NOT" hit in the face.  
"FUNNY!!" hit, hit, hit, hit...  
  
Rick continued to laugh and Evelyn continued to hit. He put up his arms to try and fend off her attack as he continued to laugh at her. When Evelyn got tired of hitting Rick, she threw the pillow at his head and waddled toward the door.  
  
"Evy" Rick called to her with laughter in his voice and laughing tears in his eyes.  
  
"Don't talk to me" she bit out viciously as she waddled out of the door.  
  
"Evy" Rick called to her again.  
  
Evelyn ignored him and walked out the room. Rick hopped up off the bed and followed after her.  
  
"Evy... honey... come on" he said when he reached the door and saw she was headed to the bathroom. "Don't be mad at me" he said, mirth still in his voice.  
  
Evelyn continued to ignore him as she waddled as fast as she could to the bathroom. After slamming the door, she locked it and began to pace.   
  
Here she was as big as a house and feeling bloated and very unattractive. Not to mention feeling tired because she had not been able to get a good night's sleep for the last couple of days. The baby had decided to play 'kick mum' all night long and Evelyn could not find a comfortable position or the rest she desperately needed.  
  
And with all she was going through, he had the nerve to laugh. He was the cause of her current problems. It was HIS child she was carrying. It was HIS child that added a ton of weight her tiny frame. It was HIS child that distorted her body beyond recognition. It was HIS child that was kicking her in the ribs and keeping her up all night long. It was HIS child. And he had the gall to laugh! To laugh at her.   
  
The pig!  
  
KNOCK KNOCK  
  
"Evy" he said.  
  
"Pig!" Evelyn mumbled as she continued to waddle back and forth.  
  
"Evy, open up."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Don't be mad honey. It's just that were you're so cute when you called me demanding."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I wasn't laughing AT you. I was laughing WITH you."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I miss you already."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Silence.  
  
"What's it gonna take for you to come out and talk to me?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Alright. I give up. You win."  
  
'The pig' Evelyn thought as she heard him walk away. Didn't he know he was suppose to stand there and beg, no matter how long it took, until she opened the door?  
  
Evelyn stayed locked in the bathroom for several more minutes before her stomach reminded her it was breakfast time. When Evelyn opened the door, Rick was standing in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest, with a smile on his face.  
  
"Pardon me ma'am" Rick said cheerfully. "I'm looking for the most beautiful woman this world's ever seen. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find her, would you? Wait a minute" he said. "Would you mind smiling for me?" he said but Evelyn frowned instead. "You know" he said thoughtfully. "You look a lot like her. Would you happen to be the woman I'm looking for?" he said in a slightly enticing voice as he leaned against the doorframe.  
  
"Excuse me" Evelyn said curtly, weakening under his seductive stare.  
  
"After you beautiful" Rick said as he stepped aside to let her pass. "Pardon me again ma'am" Rick said as he followed her back to the bedroom. "Has anyone ever told you just how beautiful you are?"  
  
Evelyn smiled inwardly put kept waddling.  
  
"I'm sure SOMEBODY has told you" Rick said as he followed Evelyn. "I'm sure your husband has. He'd be a fool if he hadn't."  
  
"He's a fool alright" Evelyn said as she waddled inside the bedroom.  
  
"He's a fool huh?" Rick grinned.  
  
"And a complete idiot" Evelyn said with a slight grin in her voice as she waddled over to her moccasins.  
  
"A fool and a complete idiot huh? He can't be a COMPLETE idiot if he had sense enough to marry you" Rick said sweetly.   
  
His words, spoken so sweetly, spoken so sincerely, caused a warm feeling to spread over Evelyn.  
  
"And" Rick continued. "If he's a fool, I'm sure he's only a fool for you."  
  
This time the smile reached Evelyn's face and she took her time sliding into her moccasins. She needed time to wipe the grin off her face before turning around to face him. When she turned around, Rick had his boyish grin on his face and he looked at her with his heart in his eyes.   
  
It took all Evelyn had not to smile back. When she walked past him, Rick reached out and scooped her up in his arms.  
  
"Put me down" Evelyn protested, thinking he would break his back carry her heavy load.  
  
"You know Evelyn" Rick said thoughtfully. "You're as light as a feather."  
  
What he said and the way he said it threw Evelyn into a fit of laughter.  
  
"You are such a liar!" she guffawed.  
  
"Really you are" he said in a serious voice and started walking toward the door. "Light as a feather."  
  
With that, Rick was back in Evelyn's good graces. 


	25. Who's The Boss?

A/N  
  
I want to apologize for the extremely long delay... I've been hooked on Band of Brothers, an HBO miniseries about WWII. Then I got stuck with P2P and went back to watching BOB. Please, please please forgive me :).  
  
Jester Fraser, a 'spat' is a fight.  
  
Well, I hope you enjoy...   
  
  
  
The fight started because Rick was worried and Evelyn was irritated.   
  
A week prior, the doctor informed Evelyn that she should take things easy for the remainder of her pregnancy because her baby would come any day. Rick took the doctor's instructions to mean Evelyn should to stay in bed until the baby was born. Evelyn took the doctor's instructions to mean she should take things easy and stop waddling around the museum so much. She should, instead, have Hamid do those things that required her to have to do a lot of waddling around. And maybe she would only work until noon each day and then come home and rest for the remainder of the day.  
  
The Monday morning after Evelyn was instructed to take things easy, she and Rick had a bit of a tug of war. She wanted to go to the museum and he wanted her to stay home - in bed. Against his better judgement, he let her go to work. She worked the entire day and neglected to have Hamid help her out more. By the end of that day, Evelyn was exhausted.  
  
The next morning, Rick put up a fuss and Evelyn promised that she would call him or Jonathan at noon to come and pick her up and she would go home for the rest of the day. At 1 o'clock, Rick showed up at the museum with a frown on his face.  
  
"Honey, I'm sorry" Evelyn said when he walked into her office. "Things just got a little busy. We received a shipment in today and I just couldn't leave it undone."  
  
Rick was not happy and ended up staying at the museum for another two hours before taking Evelyn home to be baby sat by Jonathan.  
  
For the next two days, Rick had to come to the museum and practically drag Evelyn home.   
  
On Friday, in the wee hours just past midnight, Evelyn was awakened by a discomforting cramp. It lasted for only a few seconds and Evelyn lay there and waited to see if it would happen again. When it did not, she eventually dosed back to sleep.   
  
Every hour, though, nagging cramps woke Evelyn and she would wait for the gush of water the doctor told her would come. While she waited for the dam to break, she would fall back to sleep.   
  
Evelyn never did wake Rick because the doctor had mentioned to her that a lot of men lost their head during the birthing process and it would probably be best to alert him at the last possible moment.  
  
When the sun finally rose, Evelyn was cranky and tired, but she rolled herself on her side, swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She looked at herself in the mirror and though tired, Evelyn was looking forward to going to the museum because it would keep her mind off the pending birth of her baby.   
  
The birth of her baby.  
  
That was something that scared Evelyn. The cramps she experienced during the night forced Evelyn to face the fact that she would soon be a mother. A new mother who had no idea how to take care of a baby. Oh how she wished her own mother was alive to help her through the scary, unknown process of childbirth and motherhood.  
  
Evelyn shook her head. She was not going to think about her fear. She would keep busy and when it was time for the baby to come, he would come and there would be nothing she could do about it.   
  
So why sit and worry about the unknown, Evelyn thought.   
  
If she sat there staring at herself she would do just that - worry. So she pushed herself up from the bed and slowly waddled over to the closet. After pulling a lightweight dress from its hanger and under things from her bureau, Evelyn waddled out of the bedroom.  
  
Rick slowly opened his eyes as Evelyn shut the bureau drawer. He watched with a frown as she slowly made her way out of the bedroom. He could tell by the way Evelyn moved that she was exhausted. He decided then and there that he would put his foot down and inform his wife that she would be staying home. She would not be going to the museum. She would not see the inside of the museum until after the baby was born.  
  
After lying in bed for several minutes waiting for Evelyn to come back into the bedroom, Rick needed to answer nature's call. He went down to Jonathan's lavatory and when he got back to the bedroom, Evelyn was still in their bathroom. After Rick pulled out shirt, pants and underwear, he headed back to Jonathan's lavatory for his morning washing. By the time he got back to the bedroom, Evelyn had already gone downstairs.   
  
"Hon" Rick said when he walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Good Morning" Evelyn, who was standing at the stove scrambling eggs, said.  
  
"You're not going to the museum today" he said in a casual but dictatorial voice as he walked up behind her and kissed her cheek.  
  
"WHAT!" Evelyn turned when she realized just what he said, not liking his highhanded tone of voice.  
  
"You're not going to the museum today" he said matter-of-factly as he grabbed the two plates on the counter and talked over to the table.  
  
"Pardon me" Evelyn bit out after she turned toward him with her hand on her hip.  
  
She was already irritable. And now she was quickly becoming irate.  
  
"You're staying home" Rick said as he set the plates on the table. "You look beat. I never should have let you keep working after the doc said you should take it easy..."  
  
"Just one minute!" Evelyn said. "You never should have LET me..."  
  
"Evelyn" Rick turned to her, his own ire rising, knowing that the fight was beginning. "The doctor said you should take things easy" he said deliberately. "And you haven't been" he said in an accusing voice. "I'm puttin' my foot down. You're staying home and following the doctor's orders. And that's that."  
  
Evelyn's eyes crossed. She was instantly angry with him. Who did he think he was?   
  
"And just WHO" Evelyn shouted as she waddled over to him. "Do you think you are! 'Putting your foot down!'" she said, mimicking his American ascent. "Giving me orders as if I'm one of your Legionnaire soldiers and declaring 'that's that'!!?"   
  
"Evelyn" Rick said in a warning voice. "I said you're not going! AND you're not going!! And I mean that!" Rick yelled.  
  
Rick towered over Evelyn and glared down at her. Evelyn, not intimidated by Rick's menacing towering, did not shrink back but returned her own glare.  
  
"WHO do you think you are...!!" Evelyn, seeing red, yelled her question again.   
  
"You know exactly who I am" Rick bit out sarcastically. "I am NOT taking you to that museum! You ARE NOT going to that museum! You are staying home! And that's FINAL!"  
  
"R e a l l y?!!" the words oozed out of Evelyn's mouth in a cutting tone.  
  
Rick did not answer but simply glared at her with a triumphant smirk on his face.  
  
"We'll see about that!" Evelyn declared through gritted as she turned back to the stove and turned the eggs off.  
  
"And Jonathan isn't taking you either!" Rick said, correctly anticipating her next move.  
  
Evelyn wanted to throw the hot eggs in his face for guessing her next maneuver.   
  
"If I want my brother to take me to the museum" Evelyn said as she turned to Rick and gave him an evil look. "HE WILL take me!!"  
  
"No the hell he won't!" Rick returned. "Not if he wants to live!"   
  
"You are such a bully!!" Evelyn retorted heatedly, knowing that Jonathan would kowtow to Rick's strong-arm tactics. "BUT I" she informed him as she began to waddle toward the kitchen door. "Will not be bullied!!"  
  
"I mean it Evelyn!" Rick said as she waddled past him. "You're NOT going to that goddamn museum!!"  
  
Evelyn ignored Rick and kept waddling. By the time she got to the foot of the stairs, she heard Rick coming up behind her. Then she saw him sweep past her and take the stairs two at a time. When she was half way up the stairs, she heard Rick calling Jonathan's name.  
  
'Blast the scoundrel!' she thought as she continued up the stairs. He had beaten her to Jonathan and no doubt he was threatening Jonathan's life if he took her to the museum. When Evelyn made it to the top of the stairs, another nagging cramp came but Evelyn's mind was preoccupied with how to kill her husband and she paid little attention to the discomfort.  
  
By the time Evelyn made it to their bedroom door, Rick was coming down the hall from Jonathan's room. Evelyn sneered at him before going into the bedroom and slamming the door. When Rick got to the door, he heard the click of the door being locked.  
  
"I'll be home around one" Rick informed Evelyn through the closed door before turning and walking away.  
  
Meanwhile, Evelyn was waddling back and forth in the bedroom. She was furious at Rick for keeping her prisoner in her own home. She needed to get out. She needed to keep her mind occupied on other things and going to the museum would help her do that.  
  
How dare he tell her what she could and could not do! How dare he!!  
  
Second by second, Evelyn's ire rose until she let out a piecing scream out of pure frustration. When her lungs were depleted of breath, Evelyn sucked in more air and let out another scream of frustration. By the end of her third scream, Evelyn was feeling a bit exhausted and sat down on the bed and let out tears of frustration.  
  
Moments later, there came a knock at the door.  
  
"Evy" Jonathan's sympathetic voice was heard through the door. "Are you OK?"  
  
The sympathy in his voice was not missed by Evelyn. Maybe she could talk Jonathan into taking her to the museum, even if just for an hour.  
  
"Jonathan" she moaned in a pitiful voice as she struggled to get to her feet.  
  
When she opened the door, Jonathan stood with a concerned look on his face.  
  
"What's troubling you old mum?" he asked in a tender voice as he chucked her beneath her chin.  
  
"That scoundrel of a man thinks he can keep me prisoner in my own home!"  
  
"I take it you're referring to that American scoundrel O'Connell" Jonathan teased.  
  
"He's horrible Jonathan!" Evelyn said as she stomped her foot.  
  
"Well old mum" Jonathan laughed. "You married him."  
  
"It's not funny Jonathan!" Evelyn frowned. "He's a beast!!"  
  
"A beast you just happen to love" Jonathan grinned.  
  
"OH shut up Jonathan!" Evelyn snapped, then turned and began waddling back over to the bed.  
  
"Evy" Jonathan said as he followed her over to the bed. "He's just looking out for you" he said as he watched her sit down on the bed.  
  
"I do not need looking after" Evelyn retorted bitterly. "I'm not a helpless child!"  
  
Jonathan agreed. She was not a helpless child. However, he did think she needed someone to look out for her. And he was glad it was O'Connell doing the looking.   
  
"He's just worried about you" Jonathan said as he sat down on the bed next to Evelyn.  
  
Evelyn knew that was the case but she still wanted to get out of the house.  
  
"Jonathan..." Evelyn turned to him.  
  
"No" Jonathan said immediately, knowing what she was about to ask. "No Evy. O'Connell will KILL me in a very unpleasant way if I take you to the museum."  
  
"I can not believe you're such a coward" Evelyn frowned, know that her brother was a bit of a coward. "He will not kill you."  
  
"OH yes" Jonathan shook his head. "Oh yes he will."  
  
"He will not Jonathan. And you know it!" she said in disgust.  
  
"He will" Jonathan said with confidence. "You didn't see the look on his face Evy. He was serious. Quite serious."  
  
"I can't believe you'd side with that bully over your own sister!"  
  
"Evy" Jonathan exclaimed. "I want to live to see my nephew or niece."  
  
"He is NOT going to kill you!!"  
  
"Maybe not" Jonathan conceded. "But he will torture me. Said he's turn me over to some of those heathen desert dwellers and I hear they are a ruthless bunch."  
  
"Jonathan" Evelyn said as she pushed herself up from the bed. "I want to go to the museum. And you're taking me."  
  
"Evy please" Jonathan said, noting the determination in her voice. "O'Connell will have my head if I do" he said as he stood up.  
  
"Jonathan. I am your sister. I am family. And you're suppose to be loyal to me!" Evelyn said as tears of frustration began to fill her eyes.  
  
"Evy" Jonathan, weakening with her tears, said. "He's just worried about you. He wants you to stay home and rest."  
  
"I want to go to the museum" Evelyn said as tears slid down her cheek.  
  
"Evy..." Jonathan began.  
  
"Please Jonathan" Evelyn begged. "I'd just like to do a few things and get a few books. We can be back here within 2 hours."  
  
Jonathan hesitated. Obey O'Connell or take his weeping, pregnant sister to the museum. Any sane person would do the former but... Evy was his sister. His only sister. And seeing her cry...  
  
"Alright Evy" Jonathan consented. "But only for ONE hour. O'Connell said he'd be home around one and I'm not taking ANY chances that he'll beat us back here."  
  
"Thank you Jonathan" Evelyn smiled, then hugged him around his neck.  
  
"Well, let's get a move on then" Jonathan said when Evelyn did not let go of his neck immediately.  
  
Evelyn released his neck and let him go. Jonathan rushed back to his room to get dressed. When he got downstairs, Evelyn was waiting for him.   
  
"Alright" Jonathan said as he walked up to Evelyn. "Let's go so we can get back." 


	26. Contractions

A/N  
FINALLY!!! I am posting. Again I ask for your apologies... And thanks for sticking with me and P2P...  
  
  
  
  
While Evelyn was scanning the book shelve for reading material to take home, she experienced a cramp and laid her hand on the side of her protruding belly. She winced slightly because this cramp was a bit more intense than the previous ones. Evelyn waited a few moments and when the discomfort passed, she pulled one book then another from the shelf. Evelyn, with books cradled in her arm, made her way to the doorway of the library when a searing cramp assaulted her.  
  
"aaahhh!!" Evelyn dropped the books immediately and leaned against the doorframe.   
  
"Evy old mum, it's time to go" she heard Jonathan's approaching voice.  
  
"OOOHHH!!" she moaned again as the cramp twisted within her.  
  
"EVY!" Jonathan rushed to her side when he saw her slumped against the doorframe. "Are you OK?" he stupidly asked as he reached out to her.  
  
"I think... the baby's... coming" Evelyn breathed as she felt a gush of wetness pour down her inner thighs.   
  
"Holy heaven Evy!" Wide eyed, Jonathan secured his arm around her waist.   
  
"I'm wet!" Evelyn gasped as she gripped his shoulder for support.   
  
"You can't have this baby now!! You can't!!! The doctor's not here. O'Connell is going to KILL ME!!!" Jonathan lamented. "Holy heaven!! O'Connell is going to KILL ME!!!""  
  
"And it hurts like hell!" Evelyn yelled as the cramp's intensity magnified.  
  
"What do I do? Evy!!!! What do I do?!!!!" Jonathan said anxiously. "O'Connell's gonna KILL me! What do I do?!!!"  
  
"aaaahhhh!" Evelyn moaned and grabbed Jonathan's hand as another cramp assaulted her.   
  
"Evy... my hand" he whined as her grip tightened. "You're hurting my hand" he complained.  
  
Evelyn, eyes shut tight, squeezed Jonathan's hand even tighter.   
  
"ooooohhhhh!" she groaned.  
  
"o u c h!" he protested.  
  
Both Carnahan siblings were left moaning in pain. When Evelyn's contraction began to ease, she slowly loosened her hold on Jonathan's hand. Jonathan wasted no time and quickly snatched his hand away from Evelyn's grip.  
  
"I think my fingers are broken" Jonathan murmured as he held up his hand and eyed his battered fingers.  
  
"Forget about YOUR hand Jonathan!!" Evelyn said evilly. "I'M THE ONE having the baby!!" she breathed as she waited with baited breath for another excruciating contraction.  
  
"Yes. Right" Jonathan said as he shook his hand and turned his focus back to Evelyn.  
  
That excruciating contraction Evelyn was waiting for did not delay.   
  
"oooohhhh!!!" Evelyn burst out and leaned into Jonathan as the pain vibrated from her womb and seemed to travel to every part of her body. "god! It hurts" she whined as she dug her fingernails into Jonathan's forearm.   
  
"Evy" Jonathan forgot about her pain and focused on his own. "Your nails are a tad bit biting."  
  
If Evelyn heard him, she did not acknowledge it. Instead she moaned over her pain. Jonathan bore up a little better under the digging nails but was immensely relieved when Evelyn's contraction passed.  
  
"I think it's time we got you home" Jonathan said as he eased his forearm from beneath Evelyn's biting fingernails.  
  
Jonathan took her by the hand and slowly walked Evelyn from the library. As they passed a worried Hamid, Jonathan asked him to ring Rick and tell him that Evelyn was about to deliver their baby.  
  
When Jonathan finally got Evelyn to his car, he held her about the waist with one hand and opened the car door with the other. He helped her in, slammed the door and rushed to the driver's side. Jonathan broke the normally accepted speed limit to get his sister home.  
  
After pulling up in front of the house, he put the car in park and jumped out.  
  
"Damn it!! Jonathan!" he heard an ominous voice shout as he rounded the front of the car.  
  
"Evy's having the baby!" Jonathan explained to his quickly approaching brother-in-law.  
  
Rick's eyes had been pinned on Jonathan the moment he saw the car pulling up to the house. Upon hearing that 'Evy's having the baby', his eyes darted to his wife.  
  
"EVY!" he rushed toward the passenger's side of the car.  
  
Evelyn was at the height of another painful contraction as Jonathan pulled opened the car door.  
  
"aaaahhhhh!!!" she moaned in agony, squeezing her eyes shut.  
  
"Evy! Sweetheart!" Rick shouted anxiously as he pushed Jonathan aside and stepped in and took hold of Evelyn's hand.  
  
"rick..." Evelyn groaned as she squeezed his hand. "it hurts..." she whimpered.  
  
"Jonathan!" Rick said, not taking his eyes off Evelyn. "Go ring the doc! Evelyn, sweetheart" he said in a calming voice as he smoothed her hair back. "Open your eyes and look at me."  
  
After several moments, when the contraction began to ebb, Evelyn slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"I'm scared Rick..." Evelyn whispered as she looked into his loving, worried eyes.  
  
"You don't have to be scared sweetheart" Rick assured her as he caressed her cheek. "I'm right here."  
  
"It hurts so bad" she lamented as a tear escaped her eye.  
  
Feelings of guilt began to assault Rick. "I know sweetheart..."  
  
"No you don't" Evelyn assured him in an acid voice.   
  
"I'm sorry honey" Rick said.  
  
Just then, another contraction began and Evelyn winced as she waited for the pain to increase. When the contraction ended, Rick lifted her from the car and carried her into the house.   
  
"The doctor's on his way" Jonathan anxiously informed the couple as Rick, with Evelyn in his arms, walked through the doorway. "Everything's going to be OK Evy" Jonathan said more for his sake than for hers, as he followed them up the stairs. "The doctor will be here in no time" he said, trying to calm himself down. "He'll be here in no time at all."  
  
When Rick got to the bedroom door, he used his foot to push it open. He took long strides toward the bed then laid Evelyn gently down on it. After only a second or two, Evelyn told Rick she would rather sit in the rocking chair because she could not get comfortable lying down.  
  
Rick immediately scooped her up in his arms and took her over to the rocking chair.  
  
"How ya feeling?" Rick asked with great concern after he set her in the chair.  
  
"OK for now" Evelyn squirmed in the chair as the beginnings of another contraction started. "I want to stand" she said as the cramp began to throb.  
  
Rick helped her to her feet. Evelyn put her hands on his shoulders and laid her forehead into his chest.  
  
"My back hurts..." she whispered into his chest.  
  
Rick automatically began to rub it.  
  
"Lower" she said.  
  
Rick moved his hands to the base of her back and moved his fingers in gentle but firm circular motions.  
  
"Better?" Rick asked.  
  
"oooohhhh!!" Evelyn answered through gritted teeth as the contraction reached its pinnacle.   
  
"Damn it!! Jonathan!" Rick cursed. "Where the hell's the doctor?!!"  
  
"He's coming. He's coming" Jonathan said nervously as he paced back and forth watching his sister agony.  
  
"Walking around a bit might help" Evelyn said when the contraction subsided.  
  
"You don't want to sit?" Rick asked.  
  
Evelyn shook her head 'no'.  
  
"Jonathan" Rick barked as he began to help Evelyn walk around the room. "Go downstairs and look out for the doctor."  
  
Thirty long, agonizing minutes later, the doctor and his nurse were escorted into the bedroom by Jonathan.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?!" Rick shouted as he walked Evelyn around the room.  
  
The doctor did not take offence at Rick's tone or his question. He had plenty of experience dealing with anxious fathers-to-be.  
"I WANT THIS PAIN TO STOP!!!" Evelyn screamed as she leaned into Rick, grabbed his forearm and dug her nails into his skin. "GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME!!!" she demanded no one in particular.  
  
"OK! OK!" Rick said, experiencing his own pain. "We'll get him out" he said trying to pacify her.  
  
"GET IT OUT NOW!!!" she cried.  
  
"Alright Mr. O'Connell" the doctor said as he walked toward the parents-to-be. "We'll take over from here. You can wait down stairs."  
  
"Is my sister going be alright?" Jonathan asked anxiously. "She seems to be in a LOT of pain" he said as he looked at her with worry.   
  
"She will be fine. The birthing process can be painful but women have endure it since the beginning of time" the doctor said.  
  
"How long is this gonna take?" Rick asked the doctor when he reached their side.  
  
"Depends on the baby. When he decides to come, he'll come. Now" he said in a soothing voice. "Let me and my nurse take your wife" he reached for Evelyn. "And you and your brother-in-law can wait down stairs for the good news."  
  
Rick hesitated but then gave in to the doctor's order.  
  
"I'll be right outside Evy" he said softly, then kissed her forehead before releasing her into the care of the doctor and his nurse.  
  
**********************  
  
"Having a baby sure takes a hell of a long time" Jonathan commented as he turned up a bottle of whiskey to his lips.  
  
It had been 5 hours since the doctor arrived and Jonathan had been drinking for 4 ½ of those 5 hours. And he still was not drunk.  
  
"Aren't you glad you aren't a woman O'Connell?" Jonathan asked.  
  
Rick did not answer but sat silently on the floor next to the bedroom door. Jonathan had been flapping his lips about much of nothing but strangely enough it had not irritated Rick. He just listened with ½ an ear while his mind was focused on Evelyn.  
  
"I'm sure as hell glad that I'm not a woman! For starters, I'd be one ugly dame!!" he laughed. "You'd make an ugly dame too O'Connell!" he said, drawing a slight chuckle from his brother-in-law.  
  
"And my god!" Jonathan continued. "Just think. If I were a woman, I'd be expected to marry and have children!! No thanks!! I'm glad the Almighty decided to make me a man. And I'm glad He decided to let the woman bear the children!!"  
  
The bedroom door opened then and Rick jumped to his feet.  
  
"You're wife's resting Mr. O'Connell" the doctor said.  
  
"Is it over" Jonathan asked before Rick could say anything.  
  
"Not yet" the doctor answered. "He's not quite ready to come."  
  
"How long is this gonna take doc?" Rick asked again as he looked in and saw Evelyn in the bed.  
  
"We just have to wait" the doctor said. 


	27. Help Has Arrived

A/N  
No, you're not seeing things... P2P really is posted! LOL  
  
Rick's girl, I agree that I couldn't see Rick leaving Evy alone to have the baby either. But since, by trade I'm a computer programmer and I've never had a child, the most I know about the birthing process is what I see on 'Birth Day' on DiscoveryHealth (a show I just love!) and what one of our authors shared with me. I had Rick leave because, as you are about to see, Evy had some complications and I would not have done a good job trying to describe them.  
  
  
18 hours later, Rick and Jonathan were still just outside the bedroom door waiting, when suddenly Evelyn let out a piercing scream. Rick automatically jumped to his feet and burst into the bedroom.  
  
"What the HELL are you doing?!!!" Rick screamed as he stormed toward the bed.  
  
The doctor was bending over Evelyn and pushing down on her protruding stomach. The nurse was on her haunches between Evelyn wide spread legs.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY WIFE!!!" Rick yelled as he grabbed the doctor by the back of his shirt and pulled him away from Evelyn.  
  
"rick..." Evelyn, with tears in her eyes, cried out feebly to him.  
  
Rick bent over Evelyn and brushed the damp hair away from her face.  
  
"There's been a complication Mr. O'Connell" the doctor explained from behind Rick. "The baby won't come and we are trying to help it along."   
  
"Get the hell away from her!!" Rick barked at the nurse, who was still on her haunches between Evelyn's legs with her hand beneath Evelyn's nightgown.  
  
"Mr. O'Connell" the nurse said in a surprisingly calm voice. "We are trying to deliver this baby."  
  
"rick..." Evelyn cried out to him again.  
  
Rick looked back at Evelyn and could see the absolute fear in her eyes.  
  
"Get Away From Her!!!" Rick yelled again. "NOW!!" he screamed when the nurse did not immediately move. "Jonathan!" Rick yelled when the nurse pulled her hand from beneath Evelyn's nightgown.  
  
"Right here" Jonathan was already to the other side of the bed. He sat down and took hold of Evelyn's hand then looked up at Rick.  
  
The men looked at each other but did not exchange words. They did not need to. Both sets of eyes were filled with anxiety and alarm. The woman they both loved more than anything in the world was lying between them and she was in extreme pain and fear. Jonathan knew without being told that Rick wanted him to stay by Evelyn's side and hold her hand. And Rick knew without voicing his command that Jonathan would do just that.  
  
"I'll be right back" he told Jonathan.  
  
"rick..." Evelyn said weakly as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Don't go. Don't leave me" she held his hand with what little strength she had.  
  
"Sweetheart" Rick said as he bent his face down to hers. "I have to go get some help. Jonathan will be right here till I get back" he said before brushing her lips with his. "I love you" he whispered before pulling away from Evelyn and turning toward the doctor.  
  
"Get the hell out!"   
  
"Mr. O'Connell..." the doctor began as Rick's fist quickly connected with his jaw, knocking him to the floor.  
  
"Get the hell out!!" Rick towered over the slumped doctor.  
  
The nurse rushed to the doctor's side and helped him get back on his feet.  
  
"I understand that you are upset..."  
  
"Get out!!!" Rick said as he stood his ground.  
  
"You're wife needs medical attention..."  
  
"And she'll get it!! But not from you!!! Now get out!!"  
  
With that, the doctor shook his head. He hesitated for a moment before turning. With his nurse following behind him, they walked quickly out of the room, down the stairs and out the front door.  
  
"rick" Evelyn cried, causing Rick to turn back to her. "Don't go... I don't want you to go..." she said, fear etched in her voice.  
  
"Evy sweetheart" Rick rushed back to her side. "I have to get some help. Jonathan is right here..." he said as he wiped a tear from her cheek.  
  
"I'm right here old mum" Jonathan assured her as he squeezed her hand.  
  
"I have to get help" Rick said desperately as Evelyn's eyes begged him to stay. "I promise I'll be back in no time at all" he said as he stared at the woman he loved.  
  
After placing a kiss on her lips, then on the tip of her nose, then on her forehead, Rick bolted from the bed, then dashed out of the room.  
  
Thirty minutes later, Rick rushed back into the bedroom with two nuns following closely behind him. One stood 4'9" weighing 85 pounds. The other stood 5'6" weighting 185 pounds.  
  
"Evy, sweetheart" Rick sat on the bed next to Evelyn and cradled the side of her face in his strong hand. "Evy" Rick called softly, trying to wake her. "Evy... Sister Abigail is here" he said after Evelyn finally opened her eyes. "She's here to help."  
  
"Richard" the 4'9" Sister Abigail said in her high-pitched, but commanding voice. "Step aside."  
  
Rick immediately obeyed and Sister Abigail sat down where he had been sitting.  
  
"Evelyn dear" she said softly as she took Evelyn's hand into her small hand and began to rub it. "I don't want you to worry. Sister Katherine and I are here to deliver this baby and I need you to help us by staying calm and trusting us. Can you do that for me?"  
  
Evelyn wearily shook her head 'yes'.  
  
"Good" Sister Abigail smiled kindly at Evelyn. "Richard" she said, keeping her eyes and smile on Evelyn.  
  
"Ma'am?"  
  
"Show Sister Katherine to your kitchen and follow her instructions. Do it quickly."  
  
"Yes, ma'am" Richard answered, then lead Sister Katherine out of the bedroom.  
  
"Who are you?" Sister Abigail asked Jonathan.  
  
"Jonathan. Evy's brother."  
  
"Alright Jonathan" Sister Abigail said. "I need to examine Evelyn so you will need to leave the room."  
  
"I'll be right outside old mum" Jonathan smiled at Evelyn.  
  
After bending down and kissing Evelyn's cheek, Jonathan obeyed Sister Abigail and exited the room.  
  
"Evelyn dear" Sister Abigail began. "I need to take a look at you."  
  
Evelyn nodded her compliance and Sister Abigail began her work. Moments later, she opened the bedroom door and found Jonathan with his whiskey bottled turned up to his lips.  
  
"Is there a bath with running water up here?" Sister Abigail asked, making a mental note to lecture Jonathan on the dangers of strong drink.  
  
"Yes Sister" Jonathan said a bit guiltily, sensing the Sister's disapproval of the upturned whiskey bottle.   
  
"I need a lukewarm bath. Now."  
  
"Right" Jonathan said then scurried off to complete his task.  
  
Sister Abigail then returned to Evelyn's side.  
  
"Richard has be negligent in introducing us" Sister Abigail smiled down at Evelyn. "Although I must confess that for the last year, I have been out of the city more than I have been in. He is a good boy though" she smiled like a proud mother. "And I am so very proud of him. How did you and Richard meet?"  
  
Sister Abigail and her calm, sweet voice put Evelyn at ease and she wondered if Sister Abigail knew that her 'good boy' had been in prison.  
  
"He was an acquaintance of my brother" Evelyn said weakly.  
  
A knock at the door stopped Sister Abigail's next question.  
  
"Come in" Sister Abigail turned toward the door and called out.  
  
"The bath is ready" Jonathan announced after stepping inside the room.   
  
"Good" Sister Abigail said, then turned back to Evelyn. "Evelyn, where do you keep your nightgowns."  
  
"In the bottom drawer" Evelyn pointed to her bureau.  
  
"Jonathan, take your sister into the lavatory" Sister Abigail said.  
  
"Will do" Jonathan said and walked to the bed and lifted Evelyn into his arms.  
  
Sister Abigail went over to the bureau and pulled out a nightgown then followed Jonathan. Once inside the bathroom, Jonathan turned to Sister Abigail for instructions.  
  
"Sit her here" Sister Abigail said after she put the lid down on the commode.  
  
"I'm tired" Evelyn whimpered after Jonathan had set her down.  
  
"I know you are dear" Sister Abigail said as she stood next to Evelyn and put her arm around Evelyn's shoulder. Rick had informed her that Evelyn had been in labor for nearly 24 hours. "Sister Katherine will be here shortly and we will work as quickly as possible to deliver this baby."  
  
"I want to sleep" Evelyn murmured as she laid her head on the sister's chest and closed her eyes.  
  
"Jonathan" Sister Abigail said. "Go down stairs and tell Sister Katherine to hurry. Evelyn" she said softly. "I need you to find the strength to stay awake. We are going to need you. We can not deliver this baby without you."  
  
"I'm so tired" Evelyn groaned.  
  
"I know you are dear. But try to hold on" Sister Abigail said.  
  
Minutes later, Jonathan, Sister Katherine and Rick came rushing into the bathroom.  
  
"Richard, set those items in the sink" Sister Abigail said. "Then you and Jonathan may leave."  
  
"Sister Abigail..." Rick began to protest as he laid the items in the sink.  
  
"Richard" Sister Abigail said sternly, the waited for Rick to turn and face her. "I will take good care of her" she said in a kind reassuring voice.  
  
Sister Abigail understood his worry, but she did not want or need the anxious and worried father-to-be hovering over as they delivered this baby that was obviously in distress.  
  
Rick looked from Sister Abigail to Evelyn who, with eyes close, was still leaning her head against Sister Abigail's chest. She looked so peaceful. He did not want to leave her again...  
  
"Hurry now" Sister Abigail said as Rick stood there staring at Evelyn. "We have work to do and we must do it quickly. Son" Sister Abigail said in a very motherly voice when Rick looked up at her with hesitation in her eyes. "I promise to take good care of her."  
  
He did not want to leave her, not again but... he trusted Sister Abigail. He trusted her with the most important thing in his life - Evelyn.  
  
Finally, Rick, with Jonathan behind him, left the nuns to take care of Evelyn.  
  
"You think everything's going be alright?" Jonathan asked nervously once they were in the hallway. He was deeply shaken by Evelyn's weakened state.  
  
"If anybody can help her, Sister Abigail can" Rick paced tiredly as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension that had mounted there. 


	28. Twisted Fate, Cruel Fate

Two hours later, a loud squeal of a cry came from the other side of the bathroom door. Both Rick and Jonathan stopped their pacing and stood staring at the door. Seconds ticked by as their hearts pounded louder and louder. The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes seemed to turn into hours then finally, the door began to open.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity to Rick, Sister Katherine emerged from the bathroom with a fluffy, cotton white bundle in her arms.  
  
"You have a son" she announced as she held the baby out for Rick to see.  
  
Rick stood transfixed for a moment and his breathing became labored as excitement, pure excitement began to run through his veins. He had a kid, a son. He could hardly believe it. He was a father. He did not believe it.  
  
Then he saw the bundle begin to squirm and a tiny fist rise out of the fluffy, cotton white towel.   
  
"He's an active one for a newborn" Sister Katherine commented with a smile as she looked at the infant in her arms.  
  
Still transfixed but not completely immobile, Rick reached out and touched the little fist with his finger. Tears began to unashamedly slide down his cheeks as Rick felt the soft skin. Then watery eyes traveled to the tiny face. Tiny eyes were shut tight. A tiny nose breathed air in and out. Tiny cheeks blushed a rosy red. Tiny lips seemed to grin mischievously.   
  
"He's a cheeky little fellow" Uncle Jon observed from next to Rick as he gazed in amazement at his new nephew.  
  
"Would you like to hold him now?" Sister Katherine asked Rick, still keeping her eyes on the baby.  
  
"OH heavens no!" Jonathan answered as he backed up a step. "Afraid I might drop the little tike. Evy'd never forgive me for that. No. No. I'd better pass."  
  
"Richard?" Sister Katherine inquired again, looking up at Rick.  
  
"Ah..." Rick stuttered, more frightened than Jonathan. "I'd better... I'd better wait for Evy. When can I see Evy" Rick looked up from his son to Sister Katherine.  
  
"Sister Abigail is taking care of her now. Do you have a bassinet?"  
  
"Yes ma'am. In the bedroom" Rick said then lead Sister Katherine back to his and Evelyn's bedroom.  
  
"I need to put fresh linens on the bed" Sister Katherine said after she set the baby in the bassinet.  
  
"Jonathan" Rick said as he peeked inside the bassinet.   
  
"Right" Jonathan said, knowing Rick was ordering him to get the bed sheets for Sister Katherine.  
  
Jonathan left to get the fresh bed sheets and returned in a matter of moments. Rick was still standing and staring down at his new son. Both father and uncle stood glued next to the bassinet while Sister Katherine stripped the bed then put the fresh sheets on it. After Sister Katherine finished making the bed, she told Rick that she was going back to help Sister Abigail with Evelyn.  
  
Rick and Jonathan stood gazing down at the baby until Sister Katherine returned to retrieve the baby.  
  
"The little one needs to suckle" Sister Katherine announced as she picked up the baby.  
  
Rick and Jonathan watched as Sister Katherine lifted the baby from the bassinet and left the room. Both men stayed in the room, Rick sitting on the bed and Jonathan pacing the floor, until Sister Abigail appeared at the door.  
  
"Richard" Sister Abigail called and Rick turned toward her. "I need your help with Evelyn."  
  
Rick did not hesitate. He leaped off the bed and practically ran past Sister Abigail. When he burst into the bathroom, he stopped in his tracks. Evelyn was lying in the tub, naked. Her eyes were closed and she looked pale. So pale, almost like she was... dead.  
  
"I need to you help me dress her" Sister Abigail said as she rounded Rick and passed Sister Katherine, who was holding the baby.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Rick asked, still standing just inside the doorway. "Why does she look so pale? Why isn't she awake?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"Quickly Richard" Sister Abigail said as she grabbed the towel she had been using and bent down next to the bathtub. "I want to get her dry and dressed."  
  
Rick snapped out of his semi trance and rushed, heart pounding over to help Sister Abigail with Evelyn. Rick worked silently as he did what Sister Abigail commanded. Once Evelyn was dried and dressed, Rick lifted her out of the tub and turned and walked out of the bathroom.  
  
"Evy!" Jonathan said excitedly when Rick entered the room. "What's wrong?" he asked apprehensively when he saw his deathly pale sister in her husband's arms. "What's wrong with my sister?" he asked anxiously, his heart pounding with dread as he watched Rick lay Evelyn in the bed and pulled the covers up over her chest.  
  
"Heaven only knows what that quack of a doctor did" Sister Abigail said quite vehemently. "Because of the complication of the birth" Sister Abigail continued in a softer tone. "Evelyn lost a lot of blood. She is very weak."  
  
"Will she... when will..." Rick, who had sat down next to Evelyn, asked in a cracked voice as he stroked the side of her face. "When will she wake up?"   
  
Sister Abigail was silent for harrowing moments.  
  
Rick refused to ask 'if' she would wake up. It had to be 'when' she would wake up.  
  
"When will she wake up Sister Abigail?" Rick pleaded softly, desperately as anguished tears began to streak down his cheeks.  
  
"Son" Sister Abigail began, regret filtering through her voice. "I wish I could but... honestly... I can not say."  
  
"She has to wake up" Rick tearfully insisted as he gazed at her ashen face. "She has too..." he said, not to anyone particular.  
  
The next moments, hours went by in a haze for Rick. He was oblivious to everything and everybody else in the room except Evelyn.  
  
He barely noticed when Sister Katherine, then Sister Abigail left the room. He did not notice when Jonathan left the room. He barely heard when the baby would begin to cry. In a daze he would watch as either Sister Abigail or Sister Katherine would lift the crying baby from the bassinet and place him at his mother's breast.  
  
Two days had passed and Evelyn still had not woken up. Two days had passed since Rick pulled the rocking next to the bed and took Evelyn's hand in his.  
  
For two days, he sat looking at his wife, pleading with her to come back to him.  
  
"Richard" he heard Sister Abigail's voice. "Richard, I'm sorry. She's gone." 


	29. Hazel Eyes

Nora, Eviefan, Jester Fraser, Marxbros, Jessie McDonald, Marcher, Seletha, Karasuko, A.J. Mackey, Madame Futterbly, Amy and Faith, soccerstar11-5, mildred the fish, Pixie Girl, marrokinhas  
  
  
You guys, I'm sorry about the last chapter. Yes I know I ended it on a sad, horribly sad, abrupt note but... please forgive me. I admit I love getting a rise out of you all :).   
  
Madame Futterbly: I was sooo tickled at your review: 'you can't trust rick and (::shudders::) jonathan with an infant!' yes, you are right about that! :)  
  
Marcher: an alternative ending? Aaaahhhh!!! You'll see in a few seconds that... well you'll see.   
  
Marxbros: Sorry about that heart attack. Forgive me. Your love/hate relationship with P2P warms my heart :)  
  
And A.J. Mackey: I tell ya!! You either read my mind or peak over my shoulder. More than once you have hit the nail squarely on the head!! And you're right, nothing is easy for these two. If it were, it wouldn't be any fun! :)  
  
Well... here we go...   
  
  
  
  
It was a lie. It had to be a lie.  
  
How could Evy go? How could Evy leave? How could she leave him? How could she?! How could she leave him all alone?  
  
She knew she meant everything to him. She knew he was lost without her. Damn it!! Damn her!! She knew!  
  
So why did she leave him? How could she leave him?  
  
"Richard" Sister Abigail called.  
  
No!! She could not leave. She just couldn't!   
  
It was a lie. It was all a lie. She would wake up. She had to. She had to wake up because he was nothing without her.  
  
"Richard. She's gone..."  
  
If she was gone...   
  
"She's gone..."   
  
He wanted to go too.  
  
But who would raise their kid? He could not do it. Not without Evy. If he left too, who would the kid have? Jonathan?   
  
Hell no!!   
  
That blundering idiot... Well, he did, for lack of a better word, raise Evy after their parents died.   
  
But that was Evy. This is his kid. Could he trust Jonathan? He shuttered at the idea.  
  
Then who? Who would be there for his kid? Who would raise him?  
  
Sister Abigail.   
  
Sister Abigail could raise the baby. After all, she raised him after his father abandoned him.  
  
Guilt.  
  
How could he even think of leaving his kid? Of wanting to give up on everything and leave his kid an orphan. What kind of man was he? He was no better than his own father was.   
  
Rick let out an anguished cry, laid his cheek on Evelyn's stomach, closed his eyes and cried his heart out.  
  
"Richard" she kept calling but Rick was oblivious to everything except the loss, the despair, the pain.  
  
"Richard" the voice kept calling. "Richard... Richard... Richard... Richard...".  
  
In the mist of his tears, Rick felt a soft hand on his cheek.  
  
"Rick..." a small voice broke through his wailing. "Rick..." he heard her faintly calling.  
  
Then Rick began to fall... fall... fall... until he jerked himself... awake.  
  
Rick's eyes popped open and he immediately lifted his head from Evelyn's stomach and looked at her. Her eyes, her beautiful eyes, her beautiful hazel eyes were opened. And they were looking at him.   
  
Rick mentally shook himself. Was he dreaming? Was this some cruel fantasy trying to give him hope, false hope that Evy was alive?  
  
"Evy?" he whispered, frightened that he was imagining things.   
  
"What..." she whispered in a hoarse voice. "What happened?"   
  
"Evy?" Rick said as he moved from the rocking chair and sat on the bed, still unsure if this was reality or fantasy. "Evy?" he said in disbelief as he leaned over her and touched the side of her face. "Evy!!" he uttered desperately, urgently when Evelyn slowly closed her eyes.  
  
"What happened?" she whispered again, licking her dry lips.  
  
"Evy?" Rick cried softly as it began to sink in that she was indeed alive. "You ah..." he choked as hope began to bud. "You had some complications..."  
  
"Where is the baby?" she asked, her eyes still closed.  
  
"He's right here" Rick said as he looked over at the bassinet, then back to his wife. His very much alive wife.  
  
"We have a baby boy?" Evelyn managed a smile.  
  
"Yeah, we do" Rick smiled, tears beginning to form in his eyes, realizing that he had been having a nightmare.  
  
Evy was not gone. She had not left him. She was right here. She was right where she belonged.  
  
"I want to see him."  
  
"I'd better get Sister Abigail" Rick said nervously, still hesitant to pick the baby up. "I'd better get Sister Abigail" he said again, excited, relieved, overjoyed that Evelyn was awake.  
  
He went to the door, called for Sister Abigail and quickly returned to Evelyn's side.  
  
"What happened?" Evelyn asked again as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at her teary eyed husband.  
  
"You had some complications" he said as he rubbed up and down her arm. "And Sister Abigail came to help. She delivered the baby and you've been out for the past..." Rick paused to think how much time had passed. "Three days."  
  
"Did you sock the doctor?" Evelyn asked with humor, wondering if she been hallucinating.   
  
"Evy's awake?!" Jonathan burst into the room. "Evy's awake?!" he shouted as he rushed to the bedside.  
  
"Jonathan kept it down!" Rick snapped. "The kid's asleep" he said a bit softer, happy, oh-so happy that his world was coming back together again.  
  
"Hello Jonathan" Evelyn smiled as she closed her eyes.  
  
"Evy, you're awake!" he informed her in a slightly quieter voice.  
  
"Yes Jonathan" Evelyn said, with a smile in her voice. "I am awake."  
  
"Boys step aside" Sister Abigail, who was a few steps behind Jonathan, said when she entered the room. "I need to have a look at Evelyn."  
  
Rick stood and both he and Jonathan stepped back just enough for Sister Abigail to squeeze by them and sit next to Evelyn.  
  
"Evelyn dear" Sister Abigail said, causing Evelyn to open her eyes. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she took Evelyn's hand and looked into her eyes.  
  
"Drained" she said wearily. "A bit tired."   
  
"That's to be expected" Sister Abigail said. "We need to get some food in you."  
  
"I want to see my baby" Evelyn said.  
  
"Yes" Sister Abigail smiled. "I expected you would."  
  
Evelyn watched as Sister Abigail got up from the bed and walked over to the bassinet. She watched as Sister Abigail lifted the baby from the bassinet and walked back over to the bedside.  
  
"He should be waking up in an hour or so for his feeding" Sister Abigail said as she moved the pillow next to Evelyn and laid the baby up near her head.  
  
Evelyn turned her head to look at her sleeping baby. A tear slid down her cheek as she saw her little one for the first time.  
  
"He's beautiful" Evelyn whispered as all of the sickness, mood swings, bloating, uncomfortable, sleepless nights, and long, painful hours of labor were forgotten.   
  
"Yes he is" Sister Abigail agreed as she smiled down at mother and child.  
  
Another tear escaped as Evelyn reached over and began to rub the baby's soft cheek with her finger.  
  
"We need to get some food in you" Sister Abigail told Evelyn. "So that you will have strength enough to hold him. Richard" Sister Abigail said as she turned to walk out of the room. "You need to eat something also."  
  
"Yes ma'am" Rick said sat back down on the bed next to Evelyn and watched her gaze at their baby.   
  
Rick had not eaten since Evelyn went into labor.  
  
"That goes for you too Jonathan" Sister Abigail said over her shoulder as she exited the bedroom. "You need solid food instead of all that strong drink you've been consuming."  
  
"Sure thing Sister" Jonathan said sheepishly, his face turning red. He thought he had been clandestinely consuming his strong drink.  
  
Though he had drunk plenty, he too had not eaten much since Evelyn went into labor.  
  
"I want to hold him Rick" Evelyn said as she continued to gaze at her baby.  
  
"We'd better wait till Sister Abigail comes back."  
  
"I want to hold him now" Evelyn announced as she turned and looked at Rick.  
  
"You sure you don't want to wait?" Rick said.  
  
"Yes. I'm sure" Evelyn said as she began to try and sit up.  
  
"Here let me help you" Rick said.  
  
Evelyn put her arms around Rick's neck and he lifted her up in a sitting position. He then took her pillow, then his and set them up behind her so that she could lean back on them. Once Evelyn was settled, she expectantly looked at Rick and he looked at her.  
  
"You expect ME to hand him to you?" Rick asked in a skeptical voice.  
  
"Yes" Evelyn said.  
  
"I'm not sure I can" Rick said as he looked at the small infant. "I might break him" he blurted out his insecurities.  
  
"Honey" Evelyn laughed weakly. "Don't be silly" she chided. "You won't break him. Just lift him up and hold his head steady."  
  
"I'm not sure Evy..."  
  
"Give it a try O'Connell" Jonathan jumped in. "Evy believes you can do it" he gave his best shot at cheerleading.  
  
"Shut up Jonathan" Rick said.  
  
"Just trying to help ole chap!" Jonathan said, secretly enjoying watching his brother-in-law being totally undone by a tiny infant.  
  
Rick looked at Evelyn's expectant gaze once more before getting up from the bed. He frowned at a grinning Jonathan as he turned and walked to the other side of the bed. Rick nervously reached out his hands and scooped them underneath the baby's head and bottom. He slowly lifted the baby from the bed as he kept a keen eye on him. Rick then walked slowly, ever so slowly back around the bed. Once he got back to Evelyn's side, he bent down and placed the baby into his mother's waiting arms.  
  
"See" Evelyn said as she cradled her baby. "You didn't break him."  
  
"Good job ole chap!" Jonathan smiled.   
  
Rick ignored Jonathan as he sat back down.  
  
Jonathan watched as the new parents gazed down at their baby and wanted to let the new family have a bit of privacy.  
  
"Well old mum," he said as he stepped next to the bed. "You gave us all a scare" he leaned down and kissed Evelyn's forehead. "Try not to do that again" he said when he was standing upright again.  
  
"I'll try not to Jonathan" Evelyn said as she looked up from her baby to her brother.   
  
"I'm going to leave you two alone with my nephew here" Jonathan grinned at the infant.  
  
"Jonathan" Evelyn called and Jonathan turned his gaze back to her. "Thank you."  
  
"Ah!" Jonathan waved her off, not wanting to get too sentimental. "It's the least I could do in the face of all you do for me" he grinned and winked at her then turned and left the room.  
  
Both Rick and Evelyn sat in silence as they watched their baby sleeping. After several moments, Evelyn spoke  
  
"He's beautiful isn't he Rick" Evelyn said took his tiny fist and rubbed her finger over his tiny fingers.  
  
Beautiful?  
  
Rick would not exactly call him beautiful. Boy and beautiful just did not seem to fit together. Had they had a daughter, he would not hesitate call her beautiful but a boy. Beautiful? He did not think so.  
  
"If you say so" he said as he leaned closer and kissed the tip of Evelyn's nose.  
  
"If I say so?" Evelyn sounded offended. "Don't you think our baby is beautiful?"  
  
Evelyn was quickly returning to her old self.  
  
"Evy, calling a boy 'beautiful' makes him sound like a pansy" Rick looked back at the baby.  
  
"He isn't a 'pansy'!" Evelyn asserted will all the strength she had. "He's a beautiful baby boy."  
  
"Call it what you want" Rick said as he continued looking at his son. "But it still sounds pansy-ish to me."  
  
"You are impossible" Evelyn retorted.   
  
She wanted him to think their baby was beautiful. He refused to think of their kid as 'beautiful', let alone say it.  
  
"And you" Rick leaned in again. "Are beautiful" he whispered before he planted a sweet kiss on her dry lips. 


	30. Family

Though Evelyn was annoyed with Rick for not thinking their baby was beautiful, his sweet, gentle, loving kiss quickly dissipated her irritation. And the smile he gave her when the kiss ended filled her with loving warmth that was beyond words.  
  
"I" she smiled back at him. "No doubt look a horrid mess!"  
  
To Rick, she looked ghastly gorgeous.  
  
"No doubt..." he paused grinning, causing Evelyn's bottom lip to drop at the mere thought that he would agree that she looked a horrid mess. "You are the most beautiful 'horrid mess'" he tried mimicking her accent. "I've ever seen."  
  
Evelyn was suddenly overcome with emotion at his soft words.  
  
"I love you Rick" she whispered as a teardrop ran over her eyelid and down her cheek.  
  
"I still can't" Rick, succumbing to his own emotions, spoke in a voice cracked with his own emotion. "Figure out why... you do" he said as he ran his finger up the side of her cheek to catch the teardrop.   
  
Time seemed to stand still as Rick and Evelyn sat looking at each other, then at the child they had created. Silence permeated the room because words were inadequate for this special moment of bonding between parents and child. But love, love that could never be adequately described also permeated the room.  
  
Finally, a knock at the door broke the loving tranquil.  
  
"Come in" Rick called out.  
  
"Evelyn dear" Sister Abigail, with Jonathan, food tray in hand, on her heels, said as soon as she opened the door. "I expect you to eat every single bit..." she trailed off when she saw Evelyn sitting up holding the baby. "Well I see you do have enough strength to hold that baby" she smiled as she walked up to the bed.  
  
"Yes, I do" Evelyn looked up at the Sister and smiled.  
  
"Well" Sister Abigail said as she reached down for the baby. "It is time for you to eat" she said in a very motherly voice as Evelyn gave over the baby. "You need your strength dear. And this little one" she smiled down at the baby in her arms. "Will be waking shortly, demanding sustenance" she said as she walked over to the bassinet.  
  
Evelyn ate every single bit of food Sister Abigail had prepared for her. And Sister Abigail did not even mind that it would take her a few hours to do so. Rick, on the other hand, ate his food in a matter of minutes. Sister Abigail frowned a bit because since the day Rick had come to the convent, she had tried to teach him to eat slower. To her disappointment, she had failed in that task.  
  
Sister Abigail was right about the baby waking shortly. And the baby proved to be very demanding. When he woke, he let out a piercing cry that gave his mother a start.  
  
"The little tike has a healthy set of lungs Evy" Jonathan informed his startled sister.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Evelyn asked in an obviously worried tone as she stopped the spoon midway to her mouth and set it back down in the bowl of soup. "Is he alright" she looked at Sister Abigail.  
  
"He is fine" Sister Abigail laughed as she walked over to the bassinet. "He is just hungry and letting us all know that he is ready to eat."   
  
"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave" Jonathan said. "Evy, I'm going into town. I'll see you and the nephew later this evening" he said as he turned to walk out of the room.  
  
"Stay out of trouble Jonathan" Evelyn said as Rick picked up the food tray and went and set it on the bureau.  
  
"Sure thing... sure thing" he said as he exited the room.  
  
"Richard" Sister Abigail said as she leaned over and placed the crying baby in his mother's arm. "You may excuse yourself also."  
  
"Why" Rick asked as he walked back over to the bedside.  
  
Sister Abigail thought of herself as quite a progressive woman. There were many things that she thought of as prude and old fashion. But a man watching as a woman breast-fed her baby was not one of them.   
  
Yes, Richard was her husband. He was the father. And Sister Abigail was sure, reasonable sure, that he had seen Evelyn unclothed before. He had, Sister Abigail recalled, helped her dry and dress Evelyn after the baby was delivered. But that was an extreme circumstance. And he had been in the room when the baby suckled during Evelyn's unconsciousness. But he had been so far-gone that Sister Abigail knew that he did not have the faintest idea what was going on around him.   
  
But now, all was well and there was no need for him to sit gaping at his wife's exposed bosom.  
  
"Evelyn is about to feed the baby" Sister Abigail said in a very reasonable voice as she looked up at him.  
  
Rick looked down at Sister Abigail. Did she think he had never seen Evelyn naked before? If she knew ½ of what he had done to Evelyn's naked body… he mentally blushed at the thought of revealing something like that to Sister Abigail.  
  
"Sister Abigail" Evelyn said over the cries of her baby. "I'd like Rick to stay. Please."  
  
Sister Abigail hesitated a moment but relented.  
  
"As you wish dear" she said as she leaned over and helped Evelyn unbutton her gown and situate the baby's mouth to her breast. "There you go" she said to the baby once he had latched onto his mother's nipple.  
  
Once Sister Abigail stepped back, Rick resumed his place on the bed next to mother and child. Sister Abigail smiled down at the family and was filled with happiness for Rick. She loved all the children that came to her at the convent, but Rick had always been special to her because he always seemed to need just a bit more love.  
  
And now, it was apparent to her that Evelyn had been able to give him the all the love he had been longing for.  
  
"I'll be downstairs" Sister Abigail informed them. "Richard, come and fetch me when the baby is done" she said as she turned to leave the room.  
  
"Yes ma'am" Rick answered as he gazed down at his son.  
  
Evelyn too was gazing down at her son and her heart melted again and again. With each tug on her breast, her baby was pulling at her heartstrings and causing her to fall in love with him over and over again.  
  
"Alexander" Evelyn said as she watched the baby's tiny jaws suckle. "Do you think he looks like an 'Alexander'" she asked Rick as she ran a finger over the baby's cheek.  
  
Evelyn admired Alexander the Great and his name came up when Evelyn brought up the subject of a name for the baby. To Rick, it did not matter much what they named him (as long as it was not Richard Jr.). So when Evelyn had suggested Alexander, Rick agreed.  
  
"Sure" Rick said, thinking all he looked like to him was 'a baby'.  
  
Little Alexander, or Little Alex, the abbreviation first coming from his Uncle Jonathan, suckled hungrily, making smacking sounds, which gave his parents a laugh. When Little Alex and drained both of his mother's mounds of milk, Rick went to retrieve Sister Abigail.  
  
Sister Abigail returned to the room and showed Evelyn how to burp the baby. After she finished, Sister Abigail insisted that she resume eating. Sister Abigail took the satiated baby from his mother's arms and placed him in his father's still unsure arms, then set the tray of food back in front of Evelyn.  
  
It was not long before Evelyn's eyes began to droop.  
  
"Eat just a few more bits for me dear" Sister Abigail said. "Then you can rest."  
  
Evelyn obeyed and was shortly easing back into a lying position.  
  
"Rick" she said, her voice betraying how weary she was. "Lay him here, next to me."  
  
Rick carefully laid the baby on the bed and within minutes, mother and baby were laying side by side, sound asleep.  
  
"Richard" Sister Abigail spoke in a quiet voice. "You need to get rest also" she said as she tenderly rubbed his back.  
  
Rick was not sure he was ready for sleep yet. As he sat looking down at the two greatest miracles in his life, he thought he would never be able to take his eyes off of them.  
  
"Sister Abigail" Rick said, his voice tender with emotion, his gaze still fixed on his wife and child.  
  
"Yes son" Sister Abigail, who had began to retreat from the room, turned back toward Rick.  
  
"I'll never be able to pay you back for what you did for me" he said.  
  
"Seeing you now, with your wife and son is more than enough payment" Sister Abigail smiled.  
  
"Thank you... for saving them" he moaned as he fought to hold back his tears.   
  
"It was my pleasure." 


	31. Preview for Chap 31

Next on Pathway to Parenthood:  
  
You guys, it has been over a YEAR since I posted chapter 1 of P2P. Man time seems to fly when you are having fun!! I really have enjoyed writing P2P and I only hope that you have enjoyed reading it.  
  
Rick and Evy had some close calls there, but I think that only served to strengthen their love.  
  
I am glad for all who have travelled this journey with me and I do apologize for any undue agony I may have cause :). I love you guys!!  
  
Well, I think I will have one more chapter. I am thinking I am going to try and summerize how Rick and Evy have adjusted to the baby and each other now that there is a baby.  
  
And for a finale, I have this love scene in mind that I plan on doing. A general overview of the scene will be posted here, but I plan on posting the tell-all version on Shelby's site.   
  
Well... again, thanks to each one of you (and I will call you all by name in my 'Credits' chapter) for reading (and hopefully enjoying) P2P. 


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